By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Wednesday 4th May 2022) — Well-known political commentator Dwyer Astaphan is questioning why the six government ministers who do not support Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris did not submit a group resignation before filing their motion of no confidence. In his commentary aired on Tuesday 3rd May 2022, Astaphan stated: “There is a view that it would be at best awkward and at worst unacceptable for cabinet ministers to be signatories to a motion of no confidence against an administration of which they are members. Why didn’t they sign a formal group resignation letter before their letter to the Governor General? Address their resignation letter to the Prime Minister, enclose a copy of that letter to the Governor General and then inform the country accordingly. Wouldn’t that have removed any doubts and potential delays?”
Astaphan also explained the legal position on changing police reports: “Only the officer can properly remove that name. No superior officer, not even the Commissioner of Police, has the authority to change that report. Now, if a Task Force officer writes a report and mentions someone’s name in that report, only the officer can properly remove that name. There can be no justification for removing the name of a person who was present, worse so simply because that person objects — whether he be drain sweeper, domestic worker, doctor or deputy prime minister.”
Regarding the present reduced cabinet, Astaphan said: “The present situation with a cabinet of five — Harris, possibly Hamilton, Byron-Nisbett, Phipps and Byron — will raise questions relating to the legal and or political validity of the actions and decisions of this deeply decimated and diminished cabinet.” He also questioned the timing: “You may ask why the Speaker hasn’t received the legal advice yet. It shouldn’t be deep and heavy in law and it shouldn’t take so much time to research and deliver.”