by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): On Nomination Day (July 26) WINN spoke with St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Candidates Mr Samal Duggins of Constituency Number 4 and Mr Kenneth Douglas, Candidate for Constituency Number 5 who expressed confidence in their party upsetting the incumbents and regaining the mandate to lead the federation. The men shared their intentions and that of their party as they head into the upcoming National Assembly General Elections in the coming days.
Speaking to Duggins and Douglas, WINN FM News journalist Eulana Weekes asked the candidates the poignant question, “What more can we expect from St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party and from you as a candidate?
Duggins said “We have really been delivering our whole transformational agenda, both in terms of letting our public know what the plans are from the time we launched. We have always stood on the platform of delivering plans and policies that we try to implement going forward. Not just in rhetoric, but we have been on the ground doing the work as well. If you look over the last four to five months that we have been actively campaigning you would have seen a number of projects being executed on the ground, a number of initiatives that we would have started already because we do believe that we will be the next government; and there is no sense in waiting until after the election to start putting your elbows to the wheel and making things happen.I believe over the next few days you will see more of that, you will hear more of that and we have seen now, where the fear that existed in the public, where people were afraid of their jobs, the victimisation, because we have lived in this society where somehow the government of the day makes people afraid to express your political choice, but we are seeing now where that is shaking off and people are ready to stand up and stand out. Over the next few days, I think we will see the true impact of the labour train moving forward.
In response to the same question, Douglas said, the Labour Party candidates will be maximising their presence on the ground, ensuring that the electorate hears the party’s message.
“What we will have to do in the next ten days is to intensify our campaign. We have to keep on knocking on doors, we have to canvas, we have to keep on meeting people. The people of St. Kitts and Nevis, you can see it in the air, it is in the air they want change. We have to go around spreading the word of St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party. We are the best party to govern St. Kitts and Nevis, so we have to make sure that everybody, we are going all the byways and highways making sure that people hear the message of the St.Kitts Labour Party and buy into it. We will form the next government come August 5, 2022.”
Duggins and Douglas also replied to the points of view of regional pollsters who didn’t give the former ruling party much chance of claiming the election victory.
“We would have seen comments about plans of hijacking the election, we would have heard a number of pollsters give their comments. Starting with the comments of the pollsters I find their rhetoric very creative, the party is building momentum. Now if you are at the back of the race, any movement forward is momentum but not one time did the pollster ever say they are projected to win. They have momentum but they are not projected to win, so I guess they are fighting to see who is second and last and that’s fine but we already know who is number one, and I am happy for that.”
Douglas said the party remains focused on the task ahead.
“We will not be distracted. I find all these things from the P.L.P (People’s Labour Party) and the People’s Action Movement is just a distraction. They are seeing the writing on the walls right now, they know the St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party will win this government, hands down. The only thing is how we are going to win it; six-two, seven to one, all eight. We are aiming for all eight because we must bring in number five with yours truly Kenny Douglas, we are going to bring in number seven also with Leon Natta Nelson. So we are striving for all eight. The people in St. Kitts and Nevis, they want change and they deserve change and they deserve the best. They deserve St.Kitts and Nevis to be number one in the OECS. We from the St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party are going to bring it for them.”
Election Day is August 5 2022, as announced by Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris on Sunday July 17. Duggins will be contesting the Constituency Number 4 seat against the incumbent Lindsay Grant of the People’s Action Movement and Kendale Liburd of the People’s Labour Party. Douglas will be competing against the incumbent Shawn Richards, leader of the People’s Action Movement and newcomer Stachio Williams of the People’s Labour Party in Constituency Number 5.
