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My Fellow Citizens and Residents of St. Kitts and Nevis,
Greetings on the occasion of our 42nd Anniversary of Independence.
Forty-two years ago, our Nation took its first steps as an independent country. It was a moment filled with hope, determination, and the promise of a future built by our own hands. Today, as we stand together once more, we honour that promise, but we also confront the reality of where we are—and where we must go.
Our journey has been one of resilience and courage. We have faced countless storms – literal and figurative – and each time we have risen stronger. But history teaches us that independence is not a destination. It is a continuous journey that demands vigilance, innovation, industry, productivity, responsibility, adaptation and unity.
As we celebrate 42 years of independence, we pause to remember and learn from our past, and to reflect on the path that lies ahead. Our Nation’s journey has been characterized by hope and promise, but it is also clear that today we face critical challenges that demand honest assessment and decisive action.
The current administration is unprepared for the onerous responsibility of leading our Country to a better future. The public has been raising serious questions about their maturity, governance and priorities. Among these concerns is the pattern of excessive spending on overseas trips with questionable returns, at a time when many of our people struggle with daily hardships. The administration has become disconnected from the people they should be serving. Our citizens and residents are concerned about the callous over-expenditure of the corrupt regime. In 2024, the administration chalked up a deficit of well over $300 million, and the IMF report projects that for 2025, our inept administration will chalk up another $300 million in deficit.
There is nothing to show for these excessive over expenditure other than corrupt and questionable practices for which the taxpayers carry the burden. They in government are fattening their nests, bankrupting our Country, and making life hard and unbearable for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.
We must ask ourselves: where do we want St. Kitts and Nevis to be positioned on the global stage? What kind of Nation do we aspire to become? These are not questions to be answered lightly or left to chance. They require deep contemplation, clear vision, sound strategy, and leaders who are fully engaged with the realities here at home and abroad.
Too many decisions made in recent times have lacked the foresight and care necessary for sustainable progress. These huge missteps have affected our economy, which is now in tatters. Our public services are in disarray as the vindictive parasitical oligarchy promotes party paramountcy above good governance, competent management, and an inclusive approach to government. The trust that citizens place in their government has been eroded.
Among these poor decisions are the facilitation by the government of Christophe Harbour’s sale of the marina to Safe Harbor without ensuring that Christophe Harbour’s full indebtedness to the National Bank, Social Security, Skelec, and other statutory entities was paid in full. Clearly, this is an egregious and irresponsible act.
The unpatriotic effort of the Drew government to deny local marine entrepreneur Regiwell Francis his marina facility in order to benefit foreign interests in Nigeria has occupied the public’s attention. Our citizens and residents are asking why is the government fighting against local people. It is not yet clear what self-interested deals this corruptible government has made to the detriment of not just Regiwell Francis but also to the Treasury and people of St. Kitts and Nevis. Only time will tell.
The betrayal of the bar operators on Friars Bay by the outgoing Drew Administration and the arrogance of the Attorney General in the said matter, have provided further evidence that 42 years after Independence this government has not learnt that government must always be the champion of the people. They have also failed to learn the hard lessons of our colonial past, and appear willing to specialize in retrogression that introduces neo-colonialism into our Country whose ancestors fought so hard to break the shackles of our colonial masters.
The Special Sustainable Zone Act has been a colossal betrayal of our people. Hatched in secrecy and for the self-interests of those held captive by foreign elements, the Act, if allowed to stand in the face of widespread public condemnation, will certainly be a game changer for present and future generations. The Act facilitates our limited lands to be owned and controlled by foreign elements who want to own their own state within a state, exercising powers that, in the view of some, are on doubtful legal and constitutional grounds.
Our laws, our future, our nation state, and our rights as citizens will be compromised for a mess of pottage. The Act is repulsive, repugnant, and retrogressive.
We support the calls to repeal this ill-conceived aberration of an Act that will sell out our people for a mess of pottage, unless it is radically amended or repealed in its entirety.
We cannot afford to continue down a path marked by imprudent spending, absence of leadership, and questionable choices. Our people deserve better. Our Nation deserves better. The Peoples Labour Party (PLP) commits that it will deliver a better way.
Now is the time for responsible, capable, and mature governance—one that puts the interests of all citizens first, governs with transparency, and embraces accountability. We must unite with a shared sense of purpose and pride, dedicating ourselves to the hard work of building a stronger and more prosperous St. Kitts and Nevis.
As we stand at this pivotal moment in our Nation’s history, I call upon every citizen and resident—regardless of political affiliation or position—to put aside divisions and work together. The challenges before us are too great for any one group to face alone. Indeed, this is our Country, and it urgently beckons all of us.
Let us hold our leaders accountable, demand transparency, and participate actively in the shaping of our Country’s future – which is currently on shaky ground. Let us support those who govern with integrity and challenge those who fall short.
Above all, let us renew our commitment to St. Kitts and Nevis—with unity, with purpose, and with the unwavering belief that, through our collective effort, we can build a Nation worthy of the sacrifices made by those who came before us, and in particular those who led with humility, integrity and distinction.
The future is ours to shape. Let us choose wisely. Let us act decisively, and let us move forward together with pride.
May God bless all citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis, and favour us with leaders who can take us much further along the path of a stronger, safer and sustainable future.
The Peoples Labour Party(PLP) pledges that it will do all that it can with God’s help to take our Country to a better and safer future. We so pledge.
I Thank you.