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by Ivan Bay

St.Kitts-Nevis Opposition and Labour Party Leader Dr. Denzil Douglas and his surrogates have been perpetuating an untruth regarding the so called victimization of civil servants. Team UNITY has been quite modest with regards to the shuffling and re-orgisnation of the civil service particulaely among the upper tier of operations. With the exception of a number of blatantly political appointess the Team UNITY Administration has done an exceptional job in maintaining most of the Labour Party’s most ardent and vociferous supporters in the civil service. A situation which hs drawn much criticism from many supporters of UNITY who have mostly been calling for a total recall of ALL known Labour Party activists withitn the upper tier of the civil service.
While we are on the topic of victimization it must be pointed out that the federation;s experiences it’s most vicious programme of “cleansing” when Dr Douglas took office in 1995. The programme of cleansing of non labour civil servants was only exceeded in terms of size and significance by the victimization which our first National Hero engineered in the immediate aftermath of the 1971 and 1975 elections.

Let’s look at just a small part of Labour’s history of victimization of Opposition and or PAM supporters, both perceived and otherwise.

• In the early 70’s after the 71 or 75 elections Labour FIRED over 100 persons from the civil service and deported and attempted to deport scores of others. PAM has never deported anyone, much less anyone who simply oppose their political views. Labour’s history of deporting people who oppose them politically did not end in the 70’s because persons can remember Mr. DeCastro a former well known social activist and panelists on “Inside the News” programme. He spoke on the UNEP platform before the 2004 elections and was deported within days.
• In 1995 Dr. Denzil Douglas fired over 200 persons total from places such as cemaco, the port authority and gov’t headquarters. EVERY SINGLE Permanent Secretary was fired when Labour got into power in 1995 within the first 6 months of office. Not one Permanent Secretary was fired by Dr. Simmonds and PAM when they got into power in 1980. NOT ONE!!!
• We can look at individuals like Claudette “Polly” Manchester who managed ZIZ. It was rumored that the very next day after elections she was asked to remove herself forthwith.
• ALL the permanent secretaries were fired or forced to take early retirement immediately.
• Labour refused to pay Dr. Simmonds and Constance Mitcham and other former parliamentarians their rightfully earned pension. More Victimization!!!
• A few years ago Comrade Angela Innis spoke out about how she was victimized simply because she refused to be a puppet for Dr. Douglas. A Leader she worked tirelessly for in the past.

• Our now esteemed Prime Minister Dr Harris simply spoke out in defense of and for his constituents and the country and he was FIRED

• Dwyer Astaphan spoke out similarly and he was EXPELLED.

• Former Labour Minister’s Dwyer Astaphan, Dr Timothy Harris and Sam Condor have labeled Dr. Douglas as being VINDICTIVE!

So it really amuses most when Dr. Douglas and his colleagues Hon. Marcella Liburd , Konris Maynard and Nigel Carty speak about VICTIMISATION. Dr. Douglas, based on his record, has no authority, moral or otherwise, to speak about VICTIMISATION.

Find below a List of Some of the persons Victimised by Dr. Denzil Douglas during the first 100 days in office after winning the 1995 elections:

Dismissed:

William Liburd
Sydney Osborne
Dennis Rawlins
Volney Southwell
Dave Morris
Vida Hodge
Kenrick Isaac
Micheal Roberts
Lona Edawards
Seana O’ Loughlin
Viola Hazel
Claudius Gumbs
Claudette Manchester
Julie Hanley-Liburd
BREnda Manners
Louvina Warner
Plus almost 50 men including stevedores,longshor emen and porters from Deep water port some included : Mem Caines, Jabou Dolphin, Tambu Stead, “Bloods”, Jamdown Manners…….

Forced into early retirement:
Ruth Hodge
Clarita Richards
Janice Reynolds
Patricia Hobson
Lorna Callendar
Kenrick Clifton
Terrence Richards
Valdemar Warner
Anita Morton
Mavis Huggins

Demoted/Incovenient Transfer:
Zita Bowry
Verice Hendrickson
Gwen Nisbett
Melvin James
Bernice Rawlins
Cliffette “Ip” Isaac
Shirley Rawlins
Althea O’ Farell
Edwin Warner
Ercele Bertie
Carla Johnson
Corliss Smithen
Nell Jacobs
Hilda Richards
Judith James
Rhondine Liburd