by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The Team Unity Coalition is fractured after weeks of public statements and exchanges of letters, and now the Governor-General is seeking legal advice on the way forward.
“There is a sense of betrayal, and while it is that some [people] have been speaking about this two-terms and being Prime Minister, that really isn’t the bigger issue for me. The bigger issue for me is many of the things which the Prime Minister has done,” said the Hon. Shawn Richards, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM).
The Deputy Prime Minister added that trust could not continue given the circumstances. He made those remarks in an interview on WINN’s Island Tea with Jade Johnson and Azem Bailey.
“When you see [people], for example, on Facebook, trying to malign your character, and you know for a fact that these [people] have been fed a particular narrative by the Prime Minister, then, of course, there must be a breakdown of trust. There must be that feeling of betrayal, especially when [people] are speaking of things that you know absolutely nothing about, because to a large extent, that goes to your character, it goes to your integrity as an individual.”
See the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCMkXIAFAZ4.
All eyes are on the political arena in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, watching and waiting for what will happen next.
Will PAM and Nevis’ Concerned Citizen’s Movement’s (CCM) move to convince Governor-General Sir S W Tapley Seaton to force the resignation of Prime Miniter Dr Timothy Harris bear fruit?
Six of the nine parliamentary representatives have supported Minister Richards to take up that mantle as Prime Minister. Both himself and Minister Brantley made those stances in recent days.
On the other side, will the governor-general’s legal action supersede the six MPs who agree that Dr. Harris is no longer fit to serve the country as Prime Minister?
Leader of the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party, Dr. Terrance Drew, in an announcement released on April 22, believes both exercises are futile.
“It is clear from the communications that have been made by the PAM, CCM and PLP that they are at an impasse with no clear expression of a decision to dissolve or resolve. Rather, they have chosen to prolong the stalemate by initiating a process that all are qualified enough to be aware will lead nowhere.”
Dr. Drew called the move by the Governor-General curious and perplexing to the member of SKNLP and observers near and far.
The SKNLP Leader suggests that the current tensions risk negatively impacting the Federation if not resolved soonest.
“The present tensions in the political sphere [have] spilt over into the public square and [have] led to heightened anxiety, anger and uncertainty that have brought our great Federation to a tipping point that, if not arrested soon, will completely destabilise our country.”
Dr. Drew continued, “political instability leads to economic instability, a scenario that cannot be countenanced as already our small island nation is reeling from the impact of a global pandemic and the fallout of [the] war in Europe and trade and supply chain disruptions. Our people are frustrated, confused and on edge.”
Despite the outcome of the various moves by the members of the now fractured Team Unity Coalition, the SKNLP believes there is only one course of action.
“Therefore, there’s only one avenue through which the dissident factions within the Unity coalition can resolve the present situation. Too much damage has already been done since all Ministers, including the Prime Minister, have openly spoken of the lack of equity and purpose in Team Unity and have hurled accusations and counter-accusations at each of gross incompetence, corruption, and greed. There is no turning back from here. The only way to resolve the present situation is to have fresh elections.”
The SKNLP has said they are ready to serve the people of St. Kitts and Nevis in a possible snap election.
“The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party is calling for swift action in this direction in order to return our country to a state of stability under new leadership that will truly represent the interests of our people. For too long, the entire country has been drawn into the unsavoury and embarrassing debacle, while for all intents and purposes, our government Ministries and subsidiaries and the entire machinery of the state have been left without leadership, forced to run on autopilot with pertinent matters of state left undone or in abeyance. This cannot and must not continue.”
While the unsettled political landscape remains mired in the present situation, we await a resolution and a way forward for the country.
Listen to Dr. Drew’s interview here: https://soundcloud.com/winn-fm-989/sknlp-announcement-on-the-current-political-landscape?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing.
