Many Kittitians and Nevisians are finding it extremely difficult to come to grips with the fact that we have been returned to “Devil’s Island” status within just three years and three months of the SCHEME UNITY lot getting into office.
Many are asking “Can this really be happening?” The answer is “Yes, it is!”
As we went to press last week a ruling in an extradition case was in the process of being handed down by one of Her Majesty’s High Court Judges in London, England. Little did most persons suspect the ramifications which some of the findings held in store for our beloved little nation of St Christopher and Nevis.
When our beloved Comrade Leader, Dr. The Right Honourable Denzil Llewellyn Douglas, spoke to the nation over the radio and Internet he brought to our attention various aspects of the judge’s findings in the matter that had been brought before him. Comrade Douglas’ disclosures made our people aware, the first time, of some of the antics attributed to the head of government of this country, based on taped recordings, done by German police, of conversations between a billionaire businessman and one of his associates.
As the recordings have shown, during the course of those conversations information was thrown up which has displayed, to the satisfaction of the court, that public officials (politicians) in Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia were seriously implicated in acts of bribery and other forms of corruption.
As the newspapers went out across the British Isles last Saturday, Sunday and Monday, our nationals in Britain and elsewhere in Europe were shocked, indeed stunned, to find themselves reading about such damning and shameful court findings as they relate to the head of government of their beloved country. Nationals of Antigua and Barbuda and of St. Lucia were equally affected.
The Antigua and St. Lucia parties were not named, but the prime minister of this country was named by office and personally.
It is worthy of note that the Antiguan official, though not named on the tapes or in the transcripts, has resigned from the cabinet of Antigua and Barbuda out of a concern for the good name of his country, the likely impediment which he could have become to his government had he sought to remain in office, and to give his country a fair opportunity to remove itself from beneath the very dark and heavy cloud which had overtaken it consequent upon the court findings in The UK.
Such consideration does not obtain in St. Kitts and Nevis, even though the ‘person of interest’ has been identified by name and by office.
There are those Kittitians and Nevisians who thought that they could use that particular individual to get their hands on the reins of political power in this country, and then dump him. Much to their chagrin they have already found out that any such attempts will be fraught with grave, personal danger.
Realistically the only way out for them is to return to their economic, political and cultural origins, namely within the Labour Movement of this country.
Their anguish is palpable, and we do feel for them as our brothers and sisters. Once again we assure them that they are always MOST welcome to return to their roots. Our doors and our arms are always wide open and most welcoming. We are a forgiving people, and we have demonstrated that time and again.
In last week’s edition, we pointed out that ever since the change of government in February, 2015, our beloved St. Kitts and Nevis has been ‘suffering from a multiplicity of political and governmental ailments’ which have caused serious declines in various aspects of our country’s affairs.
We went on to point out that, as a direct consequence, from that time ‘our country has been suffering from a very serious leadership deficit’, and that has led to what is known as ‘Political Paralysis’, namely a ‘state of affairs which always causes political drift and general instability’.
Without a doubt the ‘news’ out of London will only make matters worse. It brings into stark relief many of the grave dangers that we face, as a people, and as a nation.
Over the course of this weekend The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party will be meeting in its Annual Conference.
We will be assessing the organisational progress which we have made over the past three years. Our efforts to improve our functioning have been most warmly welcomed by one and all. We thank our beloved Comrade Leader for his role, front and center, in bringing about these transformations and other improvements in our party.
It is the sincere hope of this newspaper that our comrades will see fit to once again unanimously re-elect Comrade Douglas as our party leader. He has proven, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that he is the fittest person to lead our movement at this particular point in time.
Given the current state of affairs in our nation, of the general decline nationally due to the absence of political leadership, of the “rot” extant in the SCHEME UNITY disunity, and the befuddlement so evident in our people, the leadership of Comrade Douglas is just what we need if we are to survive the horrors and lift our country out of the morass into which UNITIM has landed us.
Our nation is now at a political crossroad. We are facing the very real possibility that the determination of a megalomaniac to hold on to power could push us deeper into totalitarianism. We are already well along the road to political and economic ruination.
In order to deal successfully with those threats and dangers we MUST be well prepared, well organised, and well led. Let us therefore go forth to our 2018 Annual Conference with a determination to do all that is best for our nation and our movement.
Comrade, friends, and supporters of Labour, this is no time to be timid or afraid. Our future and that of our children depends heavily on our organisation and preparedness to face and deal with the grave dangers which are both clear and present.
We MUST act boldly and clearly, and take the correct road to ensure the political destiny of our beloved country.