by Kevon Browne
Prime Minister Harris: SKN Parliament dissolved, six ministers relieved of duty.
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN) – Prime Minister, the Hon Dr Timothy Harris, has officially advised Governor-General Sir Tapley Seaton to dissolve parliament.
“I have asked the Governor-General to dissolve the parliament of St. Kitts and Nevis effective today, May 10, 2022.”
The Prime Minister said he would announce when general elections will be held. However, according to the constitution, after the dissolution of parliament, elections must be held within 90 days, August 11.
The Prime Minister confirmed that since the letter expressing that he be removed as Prime Minister was submitted to the Governor-General on April 21, the six members of Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) and People’s Action Movement (PAM) who signed, namely, the Hon. Shawn Richards, Hon. Mark Brantley, the Hon. Lindsay Grant, the Hon. Jonel Powell, the Hon. Alexis Jeffers and the Hon. Eric Evelyn have not attended Cabinet.
Additionally, the Prime Minister stripped the six Ministers of Government of their portfolios and reassigned the portfolio to others in the Cabinet; most notably, the Hon Eugene Hamilton who was named the new Deputy Prime Minister of the Federation and assigned Hamilton Richards’ portfolio.
“Deputy Prime Minister Hamilton will now have conduct of the department and subjects under the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Posts and Urban Development that had been previously assigned to the Hon. Richards. I am also to advise that I have asked His Excellency to revoke the appointments of the other ministers who have thought it fit to disrespect the sacred trust that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis placed in the government following a very successful general election campaign in 2020. As a result, the following individuals, namely the Hon. Mark Brantley, the Hon. Lindsay Grants, the Hon. Jonel Powell, the Hon. Alexis Jeffers, the Hon. Eric Evelyn have been stripped of the appointments as ministers of government.”
Prime Minister Harris continued, “As I said earlier, government must continue to function in the interests of the people. As such, I have advised the Governor-General to reassign the portfolios of those members of parliament that have been removed. The Honorable Wendy Phipps will assume the additional responsibility for Tourism and Transport, including Ports, the Hon. Attorney-General, the Hon. Vincent Byron will assume the additional responsibility for Foreign Affairs and Aviation, Education, Youth and Sports. The Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett, in addition to her responsibilities, will have added the portfolio for Culture. The subjects of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources and the Environment will be brought under the Ministry of Sustainable Development.”
Prime Minister Harris has Sustainable Development under his portfolio.
The announcement of dissolution follows months of political turmoil and local and regional coverage of the political sphere in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis that led to six members of the Team Unity Administration to write to the Governor-General of the loss of confidence in the Prime Minister. Subsequently, the six members of PAM and CCM filed a Motion of No Confidence file on April 25.
In response to being relieved of duty the Hon. Mark Brantley expressed that he is saddened to report that he was fired.
The Facebook post continued, “I have not been fired for lack of performance because many locally and regionally have said that my performance as Foreign Minister has been exceptional. No, I and my colleagues have been fired because we decided that we will stand up for principle and for what is right. We have been fired because we decided we shall stand up for our country and for a better future for our people. We decided that Team Unity was, is and will always be more than just one man’s greed and insatiable appetite for power and self-aggrandizement. ”
See the Prime Minister’s full address here:
