PAM’s main objective is to tear down and destroy
 
 
By: The Thinking Citizen

PAM’s policy as we have seen since 1965 is to assassinate the character of political opponents, periodically in the hope of gaining thereby some partisan, short-term political advantage. Premier Bradshaw was the first victim of such attacks which have continued un-interrupted right down to the present day. A frequent victim of such attacks nowadays is our well-beloved Prime Minister.

The story has been told that on Nomination Day in 1995 as Dr Denzil Douglas and a group of Labour supporters were moving towards the Police Station in Sandy Point a woman in the crowd outside the Police Station called out that Dr. Douglas had kicked her on her foot (ankle).

Investigations were carried out quickly by Officers from the Sandy Point Police Station. It was discovered that Dr. Douglas could not and did not commit any physical offence on or against the woman. No charges were laid against Dr. Douglas and he was never summoned to appear in Court.

Years later, on Nomination Day 2000 a similar trick was pulled off again, right in front of the Sandy Point Police station. Reports indicate that the same woman was involved. Again the Police investigated the matter quickly and came to the conclusion that Dr. Douglas did not and could not have inflicted any harm or hurt upon the woman.

For the year 2004, the PAMites moved the venue from Sandy Point to Old Road. The PAMites accused the Prime Minister, Dr. Douglas of committing certain Electoral Offences within the precincts of the Polling Station at Old Road on Polling Day.

The matter was heard in the High Court as part of the challenge to the Hon. Rupert Herbert’s victory over Mr. Lindsay Grant. The ruling of the High Court Judge in that particular case is now history.

PAM is very persistent. The party seems hell-bent on doing the wrong thing all the time. So Dr. Douglas was personally attacked again, within recent times, using as a pretext Dr. Douglas’ rental of one of his properties to the Taiwanese for use as an Embassy.

The PAMites used the situation to paint Dr. Douglas in the worst possible light and make him appear to be the biggest scamp and vagabond in local politics. Persons have noticed that never once has Dr. Douglas retaliated and returned evil for evil. He has always kept himself elevated high above the low-down level of PAM dirty politics.
Just as the attacks on the Prime Minister concerning the property being rented for use as the Taiwanese Embassy were diminishing something happened that caused the PAMites to renew their personal attacks.

Part of the support for the bridge that was being built to accommodate the West Basseterre By-Pass Road collapsed, killing a workman. PAM had its chance. The vicious personal attacks on the Prime Minister continued unabated.

The PAM leadership accused the Prime Minister of being responsible for the collapse of the bridge and for the death of the workman. Fair-minded persons have wondered if Dr. Douglas designed the bridge or was directly involved in supervising the construction of the bridge.

Before the bridge’s collapse, the eyes of PAM were all on the Minister responsible for Public Works. He was responsible PAM claimed. However, PAM shifted its attention from the Minister responsible for Public Works to the Prime Minister as soon as the bridge collapsed.

In spite of all the dirt and garbage that PAM has been throwing at the Prime Minister through the medium of the print and electronic media over the years, every poll, survey or study has come up with the same truth: that Dr. Douglas is the most popular politician in St. Kitts and Nevis.

The thing that puzzled and confuses most people about PAM is the party’s inconsistency and double-talk about matters of national importance.

At one time PAM would be trumpeting all over the Federation, the need for the abolition of “Political Tribalism”. At another time PAM would say and practise things that tend to give rise to the growth and strengthening of “Political Tribalism”.

Decent people believe that if PAM believes in the abolition of “Political Tribalism”, then the party must act in accordance with such belief. PAM signed the Four Seasons’ Accord in Nevis on November 22, 1994. PAM ought to act in accordance with the spirit and the principle of that Agreement.

PAM must act at all times in accordance with the party’s public preachments and utterances. To do otherwise would be to invite the accusation that PAM is nothing more than “sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal”.

A political party does not earn the truth of the public by being less than honest, truthful, forthright and consistent. Public trust in a party is based on the confidence of the public that the party really stands for what it says it stands for. The public lost confidence in PAM when the party rushed the country into Independence in 1983 after having opposed Independence during the years prior to 1983.

PAM gave the motto “COUNTRY ABOVE SELF” to the nation at our Independence in 1983. Since that time however, PAM has thrown its own motor into the mud and trampled upon it.  PAM has shown a tendency over the years to tear down and destroy not to promote the good of the country but for the selfish, personal benefit of the individual members of the party.

NOTE: The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the Communications Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister (CUOPM) and is circulated as part of the continuing debate on national issues.