BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN what many termed “sound advice”, Senator Peter David of Grenada’s ruling New National Party told the leadership of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) not to ignore the people while they are in power.
The Grenadian politician offered this advice while delivering the Feature Address at PAM’s 52nd Annual National Convention held last Sunday (Apr. 23) at the party’s Headquarters on Lockhart Street, Basseterre.
He told PAM’s Parliamentarians that their success at the last General Elections was premised on the promises made to their party supporters and the people of the twin-island Federation, adding that for that reason they have a contract with the nation.
“You won this last election because you told all of your soldiers here and all of the people in this country that you will do better and the people and your soldiers believed you, and in fact you have done better.
“Leaders of PAM, you have a contract. You have a contract to the people of your party and the people of your country. You have a contract and the loyals here know what a contract to a consideration is. What that means is both sides have to do something. And you promised the people that if they did something...to your stalwart soldiers you said if you elect me I’m going to make your lives better, to the people of St. Kitts you said if you elect me I’m going to make the country better. And the people kept their side of the bargain. They went out into the vineyard, they worked, they delivered and here you are today in government.”
With some 35 years under his belt as a politician, Senator David proffered the view that when politicians win elections, especially those in the Caribbean, they tend to forget that their allegiance is to the party. “They tend to forget the importance of the party; not because they mean bad but it is difficult work.”
He provided examples of this reality by making reference to two occasions when the political party to which he once belonged had lost the elections.
“On two occasions, in my own history, in my life in government, we lost power without much notice because we lost touch with the people. I come here as a friend today, I come to advise you on what I believe you should be doing to stay in power. So if I say some things that might be a little offensive, excuse me, because that is how friends speak to friends.”
He continued: “All of you know about 1983. We got into power, confusion, shoot each other...who ended up in jail, who ended up dead, and then the United States invaded our country. And then there are many big theories why that happened and how it happened. But the reason that I believe why it happened is because we lost touch with the people.”
David said the second occasion was in 2013 while he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, noting that despite his advice and those of many others to the party’s leadership, they refused to “go back to the people”..
“In my own experience in the party, National Democratic Congress, of which I was General Secretary for 12 years, despite the fact that we begged them and we cried to them to go back to the people, they said no. They did what they did! In fact, instead of listening to us they expelled us and then lost all 15 seats in the Parliament.”
He also told the large gathering, which included Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris and Nevis’ Premier the Hon. Vance Amory, that the people do not expect their governments to perform magic, but they want their representative to sit and speak with them.
“We must always keep in our minds that we as Ministers of Government are servants of the people. We are there, like it or not, to serve the people. MPs have to bear in mind and Ministers have to bear in mind that they would not be in their position were it not for the people.
“You see, keep in the back of your head that you are employed by the people and the problem is if you lose touch with the people, you gonna lose your work. Simple as that! And it is true when you get into government you see things that you have to do, you have to travel. People don’t expect you, brothers and sisters, to do magic, people are reasonable, but you must sit and speak with them.”
In his early days, Senator David was a Captain in the People’s Revolutionary Army and also the Junior Minister of Information in Prime Minister Maurice Bishop’s People’s Revolutionary Government, who was executed on October 19, 1983.
Following the overthrow and execution of Bishop, David reportedly left Grenada for Canada, where he studied History and Law. On completion of his studies, David practised law in Canada and the USA.
David also practised that profession on his return to Grenada and later re-entered the political arena, where it was said that he was the main organising member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Though the NDC fell one seat short in the November 2003 General Elections, he was elected to the House of Representatives as that party’s candidate for the Town of St. George. He was re-elected in the July 8, 2003 General Elections and held the portfolio of Minister of Tourism and Foreign Affairs Minister when the NDC won a majority of the seats.
But, as he told the gathering at PAM’s Convention, the NDC had lost touch with the people and suffered a crushing defeat in the February 2013 General Elections, losing all of its seats to Keith Mitchell’s New National Party (NNP).
Prior to the 2013 General Elections, David and a number of party stalwarts, including Glynnis Roberts, Karl Hood, Chester Humphrey and Stanford Simon, were expelled from the party when delegates at its 30 September 2012 Annual Convention voted and agreed by resolution to take such action because of the stance they took.
However, after almost 20 months of his expulsion, David was endorsed as a member of the ruling NNP in May 2014 because of his background.
