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Basseterre, St. Kitts – February 21, 2025 – Former Prime Minister and leader of the People’s Labour Party (PLP), Dr. Hon. Timothy Harris, delivered a fiery and impassioned critique of the Drew administration, accusing the government of incompetence, greed, and a lack of care for the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

Speaking at a PLP gathering, Dr. Harris denounced Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew for failing to fulfill his campaign promise of increasing the Poverty Alleviation Program (PAP) stipend from $500 to $1,500. Instead, Harris pointed out, the government has reduced the benefit to $250.

“They want to treat ordinary people bad,” Dr. Harris declared. “He promised to increase the PAP from $500 to $1,500. I well hear him say he gonna double it, but now ‘double’ out a style. Well, look how he kill the double salary. Double out a style, but he kill it now. And what does he offer in return? Instead of $1,500, he drop it down to $250.”

“A Wicked and Heartless Government”

Dr. Harris went on to accuse the administration of deliberately excluding unemployed persons and pensioners from receiving financial support, highlighting the struggles of those with little to no income.

“They tell you, if you unemployed for a long time, which means you can’t pay Social Security in 2024, none for you,” he argued. “But who really want it? The man with nothing in his pocket. The lady with nothing in her pocket. They tell you that if you are a pensioner, you can’t get it. But most pensioners in the country get way below $5,000, which they claim is the threshold. So why are you discriminating against them?”

Dr. Harris criticized the government for turning its back on the elderly, particularly Government Auxiliary Employees (GAE) pensioners, who he said receive between $400 and $700 per month but have been denied financial relief.

“Living Large While the Poor Struggle”

In a scathing attack, Harris called out Prime Minister Drew for enjoying lavish benefits while pensioners and the poor suffer.

“The Prime Minister, who is getting all these frittings from the people, receiving an annual salary of $262,500, living in a government-free house, eating food, drinking wine, paid for by the people, not paying any electricity, no water, no cable. He’s so detached that he would rob the poor,” Harris declared.

Dr. Harris’s remarks have ignited debate about the government’s handling of social programs and financial support for struggling citizens. His speech signals PLP’s intensified campaign to position itself as the voice of the people, holding the Drew administration accountable for its policies ahead of the next election.