BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 24th May 2019) – Re-elected leader of the opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) and immediate former Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas addressed his role in regard to the leadership transition of the party while speaking at the Party’s 87th annual conference held at the St.Kitts Marriott Hotel earlier this week under the theme ‘Next Gen SKN-It’s All About You’.
Since 1989, Party delegates have chosen him unopposed to head the political organisation having served as deputy chairman two years earlier in 1987.
While spotlighting his fellow candidates, Dr. Douglas expressed: “They have asked me to coach them and prepare them to become the best of leaders that St.Kitts and Nevis has ever seen, and some people have been asking me ‘How long Dougie, you gon coach dem?’
He added: “I want the nation of St.Kitts and Nevis to know as I shared with my own fellow candidates privately that [the answer is] ‘Not long’! “Not long, I say! These are the famous words of none other than Martin Luther King when he was asked a similar question. I will coach them but not much longer; it depends on you the people to put them into government! It depends on you; you have a share to play in this. Put them into government and Douglas will say the time has come to go.”
In speaking further to the gathering of delegates during live broadcast session on Sunday 19th May, the four-term prime minister who is also the Parliamentary Representative of Constituency Six commented: “I am proud of what I have achieved not only for the people of St.Kitts and Nevis but the people of the Caribbean region, and so I say ‘Not long’!”
Presenting on the Next Gen SKN team, Dr. Douglas remarked: “We are a unified team and we are a balanced team mixing youth with experience and professionals of every orientation-law, medicine, engineering, education, entertainment, sports, business and accounting but most of all, they are leaders who care for people that’s why they have been selected.”
Completing the SKNLP eight-member slate are Deputy Leader and Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Two Marcella Liburd; Parliamentary Representative For Constituency Three Konris Maynard; Dr. Geoffrey Hanley of Constituency One; Steve Wrensford of Constituency Four; Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Douglas of Constituency Five; Leon Natta-Nelson of Constituency Seven and Dr. Terrance Drew of Constituency Eight.
The SKNLP leader praised them for being humble, honest and competent to serve with integrity here in St.Kitts and Nevis and everywhere in the Caribbean.
“You make my heart glad for being such selfless caretakers and for doing all that you can do to meet the needs of the people of your constituencies. I am very proud that you are part of my shadow cabinet and providing wise, practical policies in your assigned areas and sectors. I want all of them to join me in the ministries of Cabinet to take our vision forward…Our Next Gen SKN, with its big and bold agenda for service, is an inclusive agenda that is the culmination of our conversation with the people. It is not about us; it is about you here in this room and the citizens of St.Kitts and Nevis as well.”
According to Dr. Douglas: “They will form the government! I will be there with them! We need to get the opportunity to look after the interests of the people of St.Kitts and Nevis again. It must not be withheld from us any longer!”
The SKNLP Leader called upon the government to hurry up in setting a date for the next general election constitutionally due in 2020.
“Stop hiding behind all kinds of excuses! Ring de bell! Call de election!”
Deputy Leader Liburd and Chairman Dr. Drew were re-elected to serve on the Party’s National Executive committee for the second year in a row with Liburd being the first female to occupy that post.
Diana Williams as National Secretary as Secretary and Thamesha Fyfield as a Floor Member were also re-elected members included on the executive while assistant secretary Crios Freeman is one of the newest members.