IS ST. KITTS-NEVIS BECOMING A ROGUE STATE?
In the spirit of a rare but unique undemocratic, outrageous and unconstitutional form of abuse, outgoing Prime Minister, Mr. Denzil Douglas, summoned an emergency meeting of his Cabinet on January 30, 2015.
Shortly after colluding with his expired Cabinet, he took to the airwaves in a nationwide address that was carried live on local media including the state-owned ZIZ Radio & Television.
In that address his aim was clear. He gave the nation the impression that he was placed in dilemma by the recent Eastern Caribbean High Court of Appeal injunction that prevents his Electoral Office from applying new boundaries in the election scheduled for Monday 16th February, 2015.
We will recall that that statement from one of the Caribbean’s most eminent justices also came after Mr. Douglas was making an attempt in 2009 to unfairly change the boundaries, just like today, only days before a national poll.
The Court stopped him then because of his breaches with the law and constitution, and again, in 2015, the Court applied the brakes on his undemocratic actions, so that the wheels of justice can be given fair chance.
Mr. Douglas’ wonky reasoning is in direct contradiction with the recent ruling of the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal, which came on the sunshine of Justice Marlene Carter’s discharge of an injunction to prevent the change of boundaries in St. Kitts and Nevis.
With crystal clarity, good Justices ordered the Elections Commission and the Supervisor of Elections to desist from planning for the General Elections that are called for Feb 16th, 2015 on the new boundaries.
Their decision was made on the grounds that the old boundaries were valid.
Rather than obey the instructions of the Justices, Mr. Denzil Douglas is wrongly, and willfully, still racing to force on the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, unfair and unwelcomed boundaries that he and his political associates have done everything to gerrymander.
There were boundaries in existence before the proclamation was rushed through the National Assembly on 16th January, 2015, when the will of the people and their representatives, the elected Majority, was denied.
In fact, the Labour Party entered into four consecutive elections on these same boundaries with much fanfare and glee. The Prime Minister himself has demonstrated with boastful arrogance that having won on these old boundaries 4 times, he can win on them 10 more times.
So I have to ask again, Why is the former prime minister afraid of his “own old boundaries”.
The answer is simple.
He knows his time is up. He understands that the clock is ticking. But he is fearful. Fearful of a defeat; and perhaps fearful of the new destiny that awaits him.
Clearly, the obvious reason why Mr. Denzil Douglas did not allow the motion of no confidence to be called, was to get the boundaries commission report through the parliament with extra ordinary haste and vile violation of best parliamentary practices.
He was aware that the boundaries commission had failed to achieve the equality of inhabitants and had succumbed to the lowest denominator of “Labour Boundaries”.
This is a dangerous period, never before experienced, in the history of St. Kitts and Nevis, when a leader decides to disrespect the order of the Court, in his own selfish interest to skew the outcome of the upcoming election in his favour.
But that will not be allowed.
This expired ruler has placed a heavy burden on the soul of the nation and gives way to arrogant, contemptuous and lawless behaviour, while blaming the opposition, whose mission is to uphold the rule of law for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and usher in a new era of honest leadership and deliver the change that the people deserve.
The only solution to rescue the people from Mr. Douglas’ tyranny of terror and addiction to power is for the election to proceed as ordered by the Court and to do so, on the old boundaries.
He is afraid of a landslide defeat.
Since Mr. Douglas has locked himself out of parliament on his own terms, he has lost his compass and is adrift on a raft of self-destruction.
But the people must not be discouraged because the strong alliance of TEAM UNITY, comprised of the People’s Action Movement, the People’s Labour Party and the Concerned Citizens Movement, CCM, is ready with an experienced captain to launch the much needed rescue operation as we seek to restore democracy.
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