‘Damn Labour if it’s not doing good for the country!’ – Dr Timothy S. Harris
The head of the Opposition coalition of St Kitts and Nevis was speaking during a press conference yesterday December 6, 2014 at the Save the Seed Energy Centre, Duff's Bottom. Team Unity comprises three political parties: the People’s Labour Party of which Dr Harris is leader, the People’s Action Movement and the Concerned Citizen’s Movement of Nevis.
In the Virgin Islands for a listening tour over the last few days, Dr Harris along with others including Hon Eugene A. Hamilton, Deputy Leader of the People’s Action Movement, was making various stops interacting with citizens of St Kitts and Nevis who live in the Territory. There was a town hall meeting at the Save the Seed Energy Centre last night for citizens of St Kitts and Nevis.
Leader of the Opposition in St Kitts and Nevis Hon Mark Brantley two years ago filed a motion of no confidence against the Douglas Administration but to date it has not been brought before the country’s legislative assembly to be debated.
“Dr Douglas has been using every device, every trick, foul and otherwise to ensure that he stays in office against the will of the people of the region,” Dr Harris said, calling what is taking place in St Kitts and Nevis an injustice.
During the press conference yesterday Dr Harris related the reactions from leaders of the Caribbean region to Dr Douglas' behaviour.
Dr Harris spoke of the mindset of some Caribbean leaders towards Dr Douglas because of his roots in the Labour Party movement. “That was the mindset, that they had to try and preserve him because we’re all fraternal Labour Parties. Damn Labour if Labour not doing good for the country,” he said.
“That situation can’t help. You can’t make decisions like that. It goes back to the nature and the value of integrity in leadership and it is that integrity that will help you to stand on principle or else you will sell your country,” he said.
He said that privately many leaders of the Caribbean have spoken to Dr Douglas. “Indeed in one interview Dr Ralph Gonsalves [Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines] that while he will not speak publicly, he had been privately speaking to Dr Denzil L. Douglas. I made reference to Baldwin Spencer (Former Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda) two weeks ago saying that he was surprised because he had thought that by now this matter had been dealt with,” said Dr Harris.
He noted too that the former Premier of Montserrat Reuben T. Meade has said that he has spoken to Douglas on what was happening. “In fact he (Meade) told me that they spoke to him way back when Caricom had a special meeting in Haiti and said to him ‘this was a bad example which we did not want prolonged. We are not going to get into a public fray and embarrass you and so on but try and deal with it’. But Dr Douglas lies so naturally and slick,” said Dr Harris.
According to Dr Harris, Dr Douglas would keep saying that the matter is held up in the court when the court has ruled that nothing prevents the Douglas Administration from calling the motion of no confidence.
“Part of the problem is that either our leaders chose to be ill informed because if they were doing their research, if they had cared about the democracy enough they would have had more information to call Dr Douglas’ bluff and take a stand,” he said.
“I give credit to Dr Keith C. Mitchell (Prime Minister of Grenada) because he was the only Prime Minister in power who has [spoken out against Dr Douglas]. I have served as Foreign Minister and I interact with a number of them,” he said.
“When Dr Ralph Gonsalves called me to get us to support Dr Douglas I was disappointed in Ralph because Ralph wasn’t thinking broad as he professes. Ralph was telling me ‘we are Labour, we have to keep this Labour thing going,’” he said.
The coalition is hoping that with support it could bring an end to what it called injustices and warned that if it is not brought to a halt, it could spread to other countries in the region.
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22 Responses to “‘Damn Labour if it’s not doing good for the country!’ – Dr Timothy S. Harris”
Did I mention the "Motion of no confidence" filed by the Opposition being still un-tabled and debated for more than 18-months now?
Most terrifying is the crime rate (murders) which now stands just short of 2 murders per month; and considered to be among the highest in the world .
With all these and other Negative happenings in the country creating a sense of the country "Heading in the wrong direction", here comes Canada with a devastating blow to the Federation's psyche; Cancellation of their VISA EXEMPT travel status; with other countries contemplating (because of security concerns), similar action.
In the words of the Ndp, "It is Crystal Clear" that St. Kitts and Nevis is crying out for, and desperately needs a Change and Team Unity is their "Best Hope", for bringing about that Desperately needed Change. May God continue to guide...and keep the people of St. Kitts and Nevis in his care.
Government cannot decrease crime, the people are the ones responsible for that. You can bring back hanging or whatever you want. As long as you have a culture of evil people, no matter what Government is in power, they will kill each other. Using crime as a political crutch does not make sense. It starts with people and what they want for themselves. St Kitts has seen development like no other Caribbean Islands with new streams of jobs but the young men decide they want to be shottas and gangstas then somehow that is the Government's fault? The same sh.. is happening in the BVI where it's 'cool' to hang on the corner and smoke all day and beg/steal when the money runs out. Wake up!! It's amazing how we are so quick to blame Government for society's ills but somehow the Parents are left off the hook. Where are the parents, particularly the Fathers of the young men shooting and killing people? Let's blame Government.