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The Opposition SKN Labour Party recently announced the formation of a Transition Council whose mandate is to oversee the transition of leadership of the 80 plus year old political party. The Party continues to be led by ousted Ex Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas. Douglas seems intent on holding on to the reigns of powers despite successive losses at the National Polls. The Party’s 2020 General Elections performance was the worst in Party History winning just 2 seats and losing the West Basseterre seat for the first time in the Party’s history . With successive losses the transition to new leadership should be a no-brainer. However that may not necessarily be the case or as easy as one may think in the current situation with the SKN Labour Party. The Party finds itself in somewhat of a dilemma as the the much touted young leadership hopefuls in Dr. Terrance Drew and Konris Maynard have both performed disappointingly in the 2020 polls. Maynard lost a seat that the party has never lost in its entire history. While Dr. Drew once again lost to Hon. Eugene Hamilton despite what he himself described leading up to the elections as a winning campaign. The Opposition Party touted Drew as a sure win and a sure seat for the party . However he lost once again to Hamilton. His losing ways continued today when the High Court through the DPP squashed charges he filed against Hon. Hamilton claiming things such as treating and bribery during the last election. It turns out that Drew really had no case or no credible evidence or even witnesses beyond himself , to substantiate his claims. Drew had two witnesses to support his claims and believe it or not one of those witnesses was himself.
This latest loss by Drew begs the obvious question and that is is he still a feasible candidate for leadership ? There are many in the Labour Party including Dr. Douglas himself who feels that the young hopefuls need to show that they have the capacity to not only lead but also win. Konris has proven he can win Calypso shows but his historic loss in the elections made it clear that he is not a popular and possibly not even a likeable candidate having lost a seat that has been held forever by his party , to a newcomer in the Hon. Akilah Byron-Nisbett. Konris loss in the elections as well virtually eliminated him as a legitimate candidate for the party leadership. The losses of these two young hopefuls also meant that they were not among the elected parliamentarians in the National Assembly. Again can they be the leader of a major political party and not even be in Parliament? All the major political parties in St.Kitts are led by Parliamentarians. This therefore means that Dr. Jeffrey Hanley, Dr. Joyelle Clarke and Dr. Denzil Douglas himself may be the only sensible and feasible possibilities left for leadership contention . With Drew not being able to show that he can win and Konris suffering the most embarrassing loss of any of the Labour Party candidates then it seems almost clear that Dr. Denzil Douglas may very well continue to the best choice for leadership of the Labour Party .