by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of the Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis hinted at the possibility of two St. Kitts- Nevis Labour Party Candidates each assigned the role of Ambassador for St. Kitts and Nevis.
During his speech at the Saturday, August 13 cabinet swearing-in ceremony held at Warner Park, Prime Minister Drew mentioned that Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Douglas, SKNLP candidate for St.Christopher Number 5 and Leon Natta-Nelson, SKNLP candidate for St. Christopher Number 7 will soon carry the title, “His Excellency”.
Natta-Nelson and Douglas were the only SKNLP candidates that were not successful in the August 05 National Assembly Elections of St. Christopher and Nevis. However, since the swearing-in ceremony of cabinet ministers, some people have been questioning why Natta- Nelson and Douglas weren’t appointed as senators in the newly formed Government; but the law doesn’t allow for this provision to be made.
As stated in the National Assembly Election Act of St.Christopher and Nevis, Part 2 Section 6 (4), ” A person shall not be qualified to be elected as Representative who is a Senator; and a person shall not be qualified to be appointed as a Senator who is or is nominated for election as a Representative or who has at any time since Parliament was last dissolved stood as a candidate for election as a Representative without being so elected.”
Kenneth Douglas in 2014 was appointed the St.Kitts-Nevis Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba under the former St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Administration. Leon Natta-Nelson, however, will become Ambassador for the first time. The appointments will be accredited by the Governor General acting upon advice from the Prime Minister.
Though Prime Minister Drew highlighted that Douglas and Natta-Nelson will soon receive their appointments, he did not specify a date when the accreditation will be given.
