Dr Timothy Harris and Mr Eugene Hamilton, of Team Unity, the three-member opposition coalition in St Kitts-Nevis, seeking to form the Government there in next year’s general election, are canvassing for votes in Anguilla.
They met with some sixty nationals of the twin-island federation at a town hall meeting at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Thursday, December 4. The event was facilitated by Mr Christopher Richardson who served as their moderator and liaison.
Speaking to the media ahead of the meeting, Dr Harris, leader of Team Unity, said in part: “We are now basically doing what we call a listening tour of the neighbouring islands – Anguilla, Tortola and Virgin Gorda – where we have very large segments of nationals from St Kitts and Nevis. They are critical to our ongoing development, both politically and economically, and many of them return home to vote.
“We are facing imminent elections and we believe it is important to come to hear their concerns about what is happening in the country, and to incorporate those concerns in our own policy development; and certainly to ask for their support as we attempt to move the country to a new level – both in development and the deepening of its democracy.”
Asked about the vision of Team Unity, Dr Harris replied: “We are fighting the elections on two pillars – democracy, democracy, and over time we have seen that come under threat. Perhaps one of the most significant developments has been the failure of the Government to hold a motion of no confidence for nigh two years. I believe that shows the Government is operating on brinkmanship – outside the Constitution, in our view, and the democratic culture… as we know it. With that you are going to get other extremes which we can’t go through now.
“But we have said that the Government has been in serial breach of our Constitution: failure to appoint a Deputy Speaker (in accordance to section 31); and failure to ensure that public money is going to the Consolidated Fund (section 69); and we can go on and on enumerating them. With that, has come a callousness invading of the society. We believe that has to be checked and we have to go back to traditional values of democracy.”
Dr Harris added: “There are also high levels of joblessness in the country. Over the last four years, hitherto, we have had negative growth which is never good news anywhere. As a result of that, people’s lives have been put out of order and we then have to create an inclusive policy of development. This is not an enclave type of development where in a particular section of the country a lot of things are happening, but for the masses of the people they are catching hell. Our vision is really a successful country with each endeavouring, each achieving, in a prosperous St Kitts and Nevis.”
Dr Harris and Mr Hamilton, both influential speakers, addressed the Kittitian and Nevisian nationals on various other matters and answered questions. Dr Harris is from the Peoples Labour Party; and Mr Hamilton is from the Peoples Action Movement. The other party in the grouping is the Concerned Citizens Movement of Nevis, led by Premier Vance Amory. The three parties have come together to form Team Unity aimed at replacing the Labour Government of Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas.
