By G.A. Dwyer Astaphan
St. Kitts is riddled with fear.
The first cause of fear is crime. People are afraid of being victims of crime. Some do not even venture out after dark.
And the second cause of fear is the leadership of Denzil ‘Lie-wellyn’ Douglas. Every day, people grow increasingly disenchanted, disappointed, and disgusted with him, and every day desperation and despair worsen.
And justifiably so. The country is in a state of terrible disrepair socially and morally.
The Law and Order that Denzil pledged as his first order of business sixteen years ago, after St. Kitts had been branded (under the former PAM-NRP Administration) in the international media as “Devil’s Island”, still has not come.
Indeed, the situation has gotten worse, as the culture of selfishness, materialism, immorality, irresponsibility, antisocial behavior and attitudes, lawlessness, violence and criminality tightens its choke-hold around the neck of our little nation.
Denzil has demonstrated over the years that he lacks the will to bring the nation to order.
And if nothing else convinces you that he lacks the will, then just ask yourselves why, after sixteen years, and especially after having made such a big deal of it in the 1995 elections, as he had done with Law and Order, he is yet to deliver on his pledge to pass Integrity in Public Life legislation.
We need to understand that Integrity in Public Life and Law and Order go hand in hand. Indeed, without proper Integrity in Public Life guidelines, set by law and diligently implemented, there can be no Law and Order in a society.
Because if leaders are unwilling to prevent unscrupulousness and corruption among themselves and others in high places, then they won’t be able to control crime and violence in the country.
Further, there is ample evidence throughout the world, now and in the past, to show that unscrupulous, corrupt politicians and other leading public figures who go unchecked and unpunished are often involved in serious criminal activity in a country. And they make it impossible for law enforcement agencies to be effective.
In short, they totally compromise Law and Order and the stability of the country. All because of their unwillingness to have themselves and their deeds held to the light of Integrity in Public Life legislation, properly, diligently and independently enforced.
And let us not kid ourselves: corruption in high places stinks in this country! Worse than the drain outside of Her Majesty’s Prison!
So what are we as citizens to do? Wait for crime, and for unscrupulousness and corruption in high places, to get worse, or, miraculously, to get better? Wait for Denzil, who cannot do anything about Law and Order or Integrity in Public life, to say that he is ready to do something about them? Or do we force the issues as a mass of people?
Good reason to march with Operation Rescue on Friday, May 27th through the streets of Basseterre from 4:00 p.m. to show how you feel about these things? Yes, of course.
Our Education system is in a mess, because for every child who passes through it rounded, balanced and ready for life’s challenges, five or more do not. That is a bad ratio, and it provides more grist for the antisocial and criminal mill as well as creating a further economic burden on the country.
Good reason to march also? Yes.
Our country’s physical infrastructure is also cause for great worry. Roads are in serious disrepair, electricity still is not working (seven years after Denzil fired Halva and promised that he would personally see to it that the problem was fixed). The airport and seaport have serious problems. And there are grave concerns with regard to drainage, sewage, solid waste management and disposal, disaster mitigation strategies and capability, Government buildings, cemeteries, community centres, etc., (despite the herculean efforts, and the commitment, of people working in those agencies).
Good reason to march? Again, yes.
What about the economy which only 8% of you said (when the University of The West Indies polled you earlier this year) is being efficiently run by Denzil?
And what about the national debt and the fact that Denzil is begging creditors to take a haircut (extend loan maturity dates and lower interest rates) in order to save our economy from collapse.
All of the taxes and increased charges that he has dropped on our backs have not been enough to get us out of this deep, dark and dangerous hole into which he, through his dismally failed leadership of our financial affairs, has plunged us.
We cannot pay our debts! And it is his fault. We cannot even buy boots and belts for the Police. And it is his fault! Government electricians get $350 a week, and it is Denzil’s fault. And so on.
We won’t get out of this mess for another 10-15 years…if we are lucky. And one way out, as suggested by the IMF, is to sell off the patrimony of the people; that is to say, sell off the land of this country which Robert Bradshaw acquired for the people.
When a leader puts you in such a hole that the only way out is to tax you to death and to sell off your land, then he is a terrible leader and he needs to go. Because his only way of ‘saving’ you is to disempower you and to return you to an ugly paradigm of the past. What kind of leader is that?
And while we catch our tail parts, while we are told by him to wash our clothes once a week and to tighten our belts, he goes and gives his friends increments, spends $720,000.00 of the people’s money on two fancy cars that are not needed, gives away duty free concessions to friends as he likes, buys dinner for himself and his friend for US$600.00 (at our expense, of course…he does not spend a bad penny of his own money), collects handsome rents for his properties, allows foreigners to block off beaches in this country, depriving our people of free access to our beaches, allows other foreigners to come in here to chase small locals out of business and out of jobs, and we see Lex Consulting money buying properties and other goodies for his family, and so on.
We see our businesses bringing in 50% less sales than before, we face downsizing and closures, employees working less hours and some being laid off, bills piling up and no money to pay them, etc., etc.
All good reasons to march on Friday, 27th May, with Operation Rescue at 4:00 p.m. to show how we stand, how we feel, how we are hurting, and how angry we are.
But, hey! We are afraid to march, aren’t we?
Because if we do, we might not get that piece of land, or that house, or that job, or that scholarship. We might be fired from our job in the public service. Or our business might suffer. Or we might be targeted in some other way.
We might be citizens of another country, working here under work permits, and we might be afraid to march because our work permits might be revoked, and we might be deported.
We are afraid to offend and upset the very man who is causing all of this suffering to us and our children.
But let me tell you this. He cannot do anything to anyone of you who decides to march. He does not want that fight! Trust me.
And let me ask you this. What do you think will happen if you do not take a stand, and if you do not march? Do you think things will get better for you? If you do, you better wake up! Here is the deal: if you do nothing, it will get worse!
Look, you are already catching your tail parts. You are already hurting, already experiencing hell. You have nothing to lose and you have nothing to fear.
And why would you be afraid to offend him when he is offending and hurting you and the nation so badly. And he takes no responsibility for it. It seems that he does not care!
Denzil cannot do anything to you. In fact, it is time for you to do something to him. March on Friday 27th May against his terrible and oppressive rule. March to end your suffering. And march to end the rule of he who has you suffering.
No need for shouting, no need for violence, and no desire or intention to break any law. We do not advocate those things.
Just a peaceful, purposeful, strong march. I can assure you that your numbers will scare him. And better that he be scared than you. Especially when it is he who has reason to be scared and not you.
We are looking for factory workers, store clerks, tradesmen, unskilled labourers, people out of work, government workers (including security personnel, Electricity folks, Public Works folks, nurses, teachers, etc.), bus and taxi drivers, and business people in the march.
The walls of Jericho are soon to fall. Keep up the pressure.
