BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, October 21st 2009 (PAM Secretariat) - Deputy Political Leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) and parliamentarian, the Hon. Shawn Richards said that the Labour Party, under the leadership of the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, should note that he and his party would not let up on the significant pressure they have applied on them.
Richards recently made these comments while noting they intend to allow the Prime Minister (PM) to make a sensible decision in the way forward and to call elections so that the people could truly decide. He declared that the constant misrepresentation and dictatorship approach of the PM has to stop immediately.
“I want the Prime Minister to know about the recent trial of former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, who was accused for a number of wrong doings,” Richards said.
He pointed out that while the accusations against the former Liberian President were made several years ago, it took some years before he was finally hauled before the courts. “It is years later that the former Liberian President has been arrested and is being made to account for his alleged misdeeds,” Richards said.
Richards said that while the police are continuing to be stagnant and prevented from performing their duties in a fair, unbiased and professional manner, his party continues to be cognizant of the developments. He said that his party had previously highlighted a number of acts and wrongdoings which needed investigation and appropriate actions must be undertaken, and those guilty must be prosecuted and brought to justice.
He stressed that of equal concern to the party is the alleged attempt by the Federation’s PM to continue in what he dubbed as his path of disrespect to the court and his blatant disrespect and uncaring attitude for the country’s workers. He also declared that numerous cases of discrimination and victimization have been brought to the fore by several persons.
“We continue to see how fearlessly the Prime Minister has marched against injustice and the excesses of this Labour administration on several occasions in this once safe and truly democratic Federation. It is very evident that the Douglas regime, using a number of excuses…among them being the global financial crisis, plans to continue discriminating and victimizing persons of political differences,” Richards said.
Richards said he was adamant that his party was convinced that the PM is pursuing a political agenda and called on his party’s supporters to be on high alert. “These continuous and blatant infringements on our people cannot continue, as it provides further evidence of the emerging tyranny which is befalling the people of this Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Richards, while holding his cards to his chest, said that the PAM has been doing its first duty to expose breaches of wrong-doings in every sector, thus ensuring that the facts could be known locally, regionally and internationally. He pointed out that his party’s Leader, Lindsay Grant, has written to a number of international bodies such as CARICOM, the OAS as well as the United Nations and respective Caribbean Leaders.
“We wrote to a number of agencies and leaders with the view of updating and informing them accordingly as to what is happening. And while we recognized that pressure has begun to be placed on the Prime Minister, we are certain and confident that we are not only getting attention but action will soon arrive”, the Constituency Five Parliamentary Representative said.
He said that the party continues to tabulate the continued breaches, noting that unlike the thinking of Denzil Douglas and his administration, a number of options are open for the PAM to use. “We must note that we have accumulated sufficient data which we are ready and willing to turn over. We recognize…and I’m aware time does not run out,” the PAM parliamentarian said.
Richards however was quick to dispel the belief that there continues to be the misconception that the PAM has super human powers, declaring that “we within PAM fully understand and know that there is a limit to what we can do and even to what we will do,” Richards said.
