BREAKING NEWS…Douglas predicts new era coming
“It’s quite clear that (Dr Timothy) Harris is indeed the outgoing Prime Minister,” of the St Kitts-Nevis Federation, said opposition legislator, Dr Denzil Douglas.
Dr Douglas was PM of the Leeward Islands nation unbroken between 1995-2015 leading his St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) in the 20-year period.
But his SKNLP lost the last two polls to Harris’ three-party coalition comprising his People’s Labour Party (PLP), the People’s Action Movement (PAM) and the Nevis-based Concerned Citizen’s Movement (CCM).
Douglas fired Harris in 2013 after he held several portfolios in his government including Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Housing; Minister of Education, Labour and Social Security; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education; and Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Industry and Commerce.
But Harris, who holds a Ph.D in Administration majoring in accounting, faced mounting criticisms especially from cabinet colleagues. Six of them pulled out from his government forcing its collapse and fresh polls three years ahead of schedule.
Elections are set for August 5th.
“What we are confident of is that while the stakes seem to be against us, we are hoping that announcing election date…will help us to win the election. We are entering the elections confidently and trust that the voters will give us an opportunity to govern them for another five years,” Douglas said.
“It’s quite clear that Harris is indeed the outgoing Prime Minister and after election it will certainly be the dawn of a new day in the Federation which many are eagerly looking forward to,” he said.
Politics of vindictiveness coupled with alleged incompetence of some of his cabinet colleagues, helped trigger Harris’ administration’s precipitous collapse.
SKNLP officials and ordinary citizens singled out Minister Akeilah Byron for special critique.
“This lady within seven years just mashed up the health sector despite the tremendous achievements that we had over the years (under the Denzil Douglas-led St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party). The people nah want her here, we nah want she as our representative no more, she is a failure and disasters and she must go,” a resident complained.
“We registered our intolerance for her and we hope that she knows that she will be fired by the residents as St. Kitts and Nevis (at the forthcoming polls). We must return as one of the better managed OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) countries because we have slipped down the ladder significantly over the past seven years,” another resident noted.
A one-time SKNLP supporter, “I voted for the party (PLP) at the last two elections as I thought that we needed change and fresh leadership. But I firmly believe that it’s the worst decision anyone could have made in this country. Therefore, my family and I, along with others, are seeking to correct this grave mistake and return the management of the Federation into the trusted hands of tried and experienced leadership.”
Douglas at a massive campaign rally told thousands of jubilant supporters that the next SKNLP government will construct a new General Hospital to help improve healthcare among the population and arrest the flight overseas by nationals for medical treatment.
“We shall build our new Joseph N France (JNF) General’ Hospital.”
“Akeilah Byron is a disgrace to tourists; a disgrace to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
“We built up our hospital to be one of the first-class hospitals, as part of our thrust in Tourism development. The woman… in seven years…mash up every damn thing, everything is mashed up. So, we will have to build to a brand-new hospital in order to put our people into the best health care facility as possible,” Douglas announced.
Harris’ multi-party coalition, rapidly losing oxygen, and facing political asphyxiation, sought a lifeline by attempting to extend its stay in office an extra three months.
A source close to the ruling administration when pressed for a comment admitted Harris was under the impression that he wasn’t expected to call elections in the first 90 days but rather was supposed to announce election date sometime after the 90-day period.
“Yes, I can say that PM Harris did make a mistake as he thought that he had significant time on his hands to call the elections. Frankly, the strategy was to drag the opposition out and sometime next year announced an election date. However, after legal clarification he was informed that his interpretation was flawed,” the official said.
“This is not a baby show party, this is serious business as you are dealing with. Health is one of the most important sectors in any country and her style of leadership and her (minister Byron) inefficiencies are too much and we no longer want her as our Constituency Representative. Kittitians and Nevisians are known for giving politicians a fair and equal opportunity, but we are also known for not accepting mediocrity. With the power that we have, we will certainly use it to register our no confidence and fire her from office at the upcoming polls,” said a former PLP supporter.
