By: Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 26th May 2022) — Members of a newly-formed group called Youth Demanding Change (YDC) marched through the streets of Basseterre on Thursday 26th May 2022, bringing attention to areas of concern such as unemployment and victimisation in relation to the political climate of St. Kitts and Nevis. Placard messages included ‘Young People Stand Up Now’, ‘Our Voices, Our Votes. We Should Count’, ‘We Want Better’, ‘Dear Mr. PM it is time to stop victimise people because of their political affiliation. Once you are qualified you deserve a job’, ‘The Country Needs A Better Hospital’ and ‘Mr. PM Please Call Elections; Three elected and Three Selected cannot Run The Country.’
Participant Tanessa Caines Charles stated: “We are a group of young persons demanding change. We decided that it is time for young persons to come out and stand up for their rights; show the government we deserve more and we want more. Being unemployed should be the only reason why you should get assistance, you shouldn’t be denied because of any other reason. I will use myself as a perfect example — I have a Bachelor’s of Arts in Accounting and I’ve been unemployed for two months and can’t get a full-time job because of my political affiliation; that cannot be right.” Fellow participant Jesse Astaphan added: “For the past two years, people have been losing their jobs both in the private and public sector and it is distasteful; they have their families to raise and going forward this can’t continue. Timothy Harris and his government cannot continue doing this to poor people and expect to be re-elected.”
Caines Charles also called for the 10% salary increase to be extended to private sector workers: “Yes, the 10% should have been across the board. I know of two doctors who are being paid minimum wage; they are getting the same $340 as somebody who is working in the supermarket. That is wrong. Timothy you need to go, we need a change of government.”