By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Thursday 11th April 2024)-“ … it may well be that when the history of now is recorded, it will show Mr. Richards’ resignation as contributing to the process of PAM [People’s Action Movement] regrouping. I am sure that in his selflessness, he would not mind if that is how history unfolded.”
So says well-known political commentator Dwyer Astaphan in his latest piece aired on Wednesday 10th April 2024 on topic of predicting that the outgoing PAM Leader 51-year-old Shawn Richards, who is the current Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Five, will not run for public office in St.Kitts again leading up to the next general elections, constitutionally due in 2027 at the five-year cycle.
Richards has been the elected PAM member of parliament since October 2004 and Party Leader since September 2012.
According to Astaphan: “Sometimes the most productive step a leader can take is the step down. How much voter strength will they be able to gather up by the next election?”
Referring to recent media statements made by Richards, Astaphan pointed at Richard’s decision to step down having cited personal pursuits such as studying for his PhD and preparing to set up a business as well as expressed lack of motivation for politics and acknowledged that he may not have been giving the best service to the party over the last year or two.
“He says that the party would be best served with another leader and that it is time to let fresh blood and new ideas come through. And he gave what some of us may regard as the correct answer. Strategically, when asked about continuing in parliament, saying that there’s a lot of time between now and the election to reflect and decide on that matter.”
Astaphan then shared his own view in talking about enough time, commenting, “Enough time to prepare the new leader and the party for the next election without risking the Sandy Point seat prematurely and unnecessarily.”
He expressed confidence in the belief that Richards will not run for public office in St. Kitts again.
“I’ve been thinking and saying to friends for some time, however, and having heard him now, I’m even more convinced that he will not run for public office in St. Kitts again.
He has also shared his position that the decision of Richards to step down opens the door to discussions about the future of politics in St. Kitts and Nevis, saying: “This situation opens the door to a discussion of the politics of St. Kitts and the country generally of St. Kitts and Nevis over the next three to eight years, maybe beyond.”