By Devonne Cornelius
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The seven-year-old Team Unity Coalition is facing distress which has been publicly confirmed by its leaders following years of rumours by political opponents that the coalition is not united.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Shawn Richards, leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM), a letter was sent to Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris requesting a meeting with himself, the Prime Minister and Premier of Nevis Hon. Mark Brantley.
Richards speaking on a regional radio station recently disclosed that a meeting was scheduled for this week but has since been rescheduled to next Monday, April 04, 2022.
“I wish to inform you that the meeting is scheduled for Monday as the Prime Minister has indicated that he is sick and he is still recovering. I wish him all of the best in his recovery efforts however I must also express my concerns that while the Prime Minister is recovering, the Prime Minister is seen at hotels in this country having meetings with his advisers and supporters of PLP and so one wonders ‘what is his first priority?’ said Richards at a PAM Townhall meeting on Thursday (Mar. 31).
WINN FM caught up with Premier Brantley, leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), following his press conference on Thursday (Mar. 31).
“We are clearly in favour of dialogue and discussions. There is a lot of debate out there about people mashing up Unity. That is not the objective. The objective is that each of us has to recommit ourselves to the principles that underpin this construct and why it is we are in this government and why it is we asked the people to elect us…
To the extent that we’ve lost sight of that, I believe that we need to get back to basics and back to the fundamentals that informed us and so we are hopeful that the meeting yields some benefits in that regard,” said Brantley.
WINN FM asked: “What happens if the Prime Minister declines to have the meeting?”
Brantley said: “I should tell you that the Prime Minister has agreed to meet and that meeting should occur in the very near future.
I think that would be an unfortunate position if he declines because the truth is that the Deputy Prime Minister and I control the majority of support in the parliament and Cabinet, and so it is in the Prime Minister’s best interest because he too must want to work out these issues and that is our expectation.”
