by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Leader of the People’s Action Movement, Mr. Shawn Richards, officially announced filing a Motion of No Confidence in the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris; Leader of the Team Unity Coalition and the Peoples Labour Party.
“On Monday, April 25, 2022, the majority of members of the Team Unity Government formally lodged with the Clerk of Parliament a Motion of No Confidence in the leadership of the Prime Minister, Dr. Timothy Harris. We expect that in keeping with the rules of Parliament that the motion will be placed on the order paper for an urgent sitting and that a sitting of parliament to hear the motion will be scheduled at the earliest possibility. Indeed we have been advised that this should be done within 21 days,” said Richards during a media briefing at the St. Lucia Room of the St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino on Tuesday, April 26.
Richards said that any delay in this action would be against the rules of parliament and genuine national interest.
Team Unity is not destroyed despite the lack of confidence in Prime Minister Harris.
“The philosophy that united our approach is not dead. Team Unity was and is a coalition of three parties, CCM, PAM and PLP. Therefore, if one man departs and there remain all the others or put differently if three parties make up Team Unity and one has drifted away, Team Unity remains with the two that continue to work together. In other words, there is still Team Unity but without Timothy.”
Recently, there have been suggestions that the Concerned Citizens Movement in Nevis would side with whichever party won the most seats.
Richards dispersed the notion by announcing that the PAM and CCM will stay partnered throughout the next iteration of the Federation’s political sphere.
Mr. Richards also confirmed that Eugene Hamilton, a member of PAM and their representative for Constituency No. 8, while having opposing views on the approach taken by the majority of Cabinet against Prime Minister Harris, is still a member of the PAM party and will continue in the party despite the opposing views.
“While our brother Eugene Hamilton is not a signatory to the motion, we intend to continue to engage him. He remains a valuable member of the PAM Caucus. My brother Eugene has different views on many aspects of the current political debate, and he has articulated many of them in our ongoing discussions. He is an experienced man with strong views, and as a democratic movement, we respect that.”
The MONC is expected to be heard in an urgent sitting of the National Assembly within 21 days, which, if passed, will have Dr. Harris either resigning or dissolving Parliament, leading to a snap election two years after the last general election in the Federation.
Richards ended his address by stating that current Prime Minister Harris will not become the next Prime Minister of the Federation, signalling a call to action for this country’s people.
“We too would prefer not to have an election, but if one comes, be assured we are ready, and we are confident of victory. A new election will bring the uncertainties of any election, but if an election comes, there’s only one thing that is certain, and that is Timothy Harris will not be our next Prime Minister.”
