By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St.Kitts– Almost three years since taking office, the Team Unity Government headed by Dr. Timothy Harris continues to make Opposition leader Dr. Denzil L. Douglas of the St.Kitts-Nevis Labour Party a frequent political topic with the most up-to-date episode stemming from PM Harris’ press conference held on Wednesday 25th October at Government Headquarters on Church Street.
Three weeks after holding a press conference on Tuesday 3rd October, PM Harris revisited statements this week making further claims that Douglas holds dual citizenship with Dominica- mistruths that has led the immediate former prime minister to speak to his lawyers about defamation since a request for a public apology has been ignored.
More than fifteen (15) minutes of PM Harris’ opening statement made at the live broadcast press briefing held earlier this month was spent talking about Dr. Douglas, the Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Six.
This time around in a similar fashion, Dr. Harris’ opening remarks spanned more than ten (10) minutes touching the topic once again as he gave attention to the “election losers” claiming that it is of “federal interest.”
Opposition Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Two Hon. Marcella Liburd, who is the current Party Chairperson, while on the 2015 general elections campaign trail, was often heard referring to Dr. Douglas as the glue which held the then opposing coalition members together.
This media house caught up with Liburd on Thursday 26th October to get her take on Dr. Douglas still being a topic for the present government.
“It is really difficult to have any other topic if you don’t have anything to show for it for the time that you’ve been there so it’s really, really difficult.”
Liburd continued: “I believe that talking about Dr. Douglas worked for them leading up to the election and so that is where they’re at but unfortunately people are suffering and feeling the squeeze. They cannot come up with any plans and policies to address the critical issues of the country and so I guess we’ll be hearing about Douglas for the rest of the time that is left.”
Dr. Douglas, in a media statement issued lashed out at the poor management of the nation’s affairs under the Harris-led administration.
“The country has not gone forward in transparency and accountability. Instead, we have had untold corruption, cronyism and nepotism. We have gone backwards by miles!”
He informed about numerical evidence which shows PM Harris is not the preferred leader of the Federation.
“…I have had the benefit recently of seeing the results of current political opinion polls conducted here in St. Kitts and Nevis that show that the outgoing Prime Minister, Dr. Timothy Harris is trailing way behind as the preferred leader of our country.”
Dr. Douglas booed PM Harris’ attempts at Wednesday’s press conference to rekindle his (Harris) leadership.
“Therefore, the hogwash which was uttered in the monthly press conference of the Prime Minister [Wednesday] October 25th was firstly intended to rekindle his failed leadership. Secondly, it was to threaten with his dictatorial tactics to get me and the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party out of Parliament because the polls are indicating that my leadership was far superior to his.”
In addressing the dual citizenship accusation, the four-term national leader highlighted: “Whether or not I have a diplomatic passport, which for present purposes is not relevant, I owe no oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth of Dominica. I am not a citizen of Dominica. I am not a National of Dominica and have sworn no oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth of Dominica or any other country for that matter. I have made no application for citizenship of Dominica. The only country I have an oath of allegiance to and which I have dedicated my life to is the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis.”