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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS – September 26, 2025 — In what can only be described as a governance crisis of staggering proportions, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is effectively running on autopilot this week. An astonishing five Cabinet ministers — including Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew himself — are either off island or off duty, with no announcement whatsoever as to who is steering the ship of state.

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PM Drew and Senior Ministers Missing in Action

Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, the man constitutionally charged with leading the nation, is currently in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. He is not alone — Senior Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas and Minister of Sustainable Development Dr. Joyelle Clarke are also in New York, participating in diplomatic engagements.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley has jetted off to Dominica, where he attended the opening ceremony of a housing project. Incredibly, the Federation’s No. 2 is busy cutting ribbons abroad while critical national matters go unanswered at home.

To make matters even more alarming, Minister Isalean Phillip has been on maternity leave for several months — and remains unavailable for ministerial duties.

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Five Ministers Down — Who’s in Charge?

That leaves an astonishing five out of the ten government ministers — fully half the Cabinet — absent or unavailable. The absentee list reads like a roll call of the nation’s top decision-makers, creating a vacuum at the heart of governance.

Equally troubling, there has been no official announcement of an Acting Prime Minister. Normally, when the PM travels, the Deputy or another senior minister is sworn in to act. Yet despite the glaring fact that the PM, DPM, Senior Minister, and two other ministers are out, silence reigns from Government Headquarters.

This leaves tOURISM Minister Hon. Marsha Henderson, Agriculture Minister Samal Duggins, Works and Infrastructure Minister Konris Maynard, and Attorney General Garth Wilkin seemingly holding the fort — but without any clarity on who, if anyone, has been delegated the powers of Acting Prime Minister.

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Constitutional Recklessness or Administrative Neglect?

The situation raises urgent constitutional and political questions. Who is currently authorized to chair Cabinet, sign urgent documents, or act in the event of a national emergency? What happens if a hurricane, security threat, or financial crisis erupts while half the Cabinet is scattered abroad?

Observers are calling the government’s handling of the matter reckless, irresponsible, and contemptuous of the public trust. The absence of transparency and communication only fuels suspicions of chaos and disarray at the highest levels of government.

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A Nation Left Adrift

Never in recent memory has the Federation found itself in such an exposed position: a Prime Minister overseas, a Deputy Prime Minister abroad, a Senior Minister out of the country, another Minister on international duty, and yet another still on leave — with no Acting Prime Minister formally declared.

For a government that campaigned on transparency and accountability, this latest blunder is being seen as a national embarrassment and a dangerous dereliction of duty.

As one political commentator bluntly put it:

“It feels like the country is being run on WhatsApp messages and airline Wi-Fi. The people of St. Kitts and Nevis deserve leadership, not absenteeism.”

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The SKN Times will continue to press for answers. Who is running the country right now? And why is the government refusing to tell the people the truth?