Vance Amory Speaks Out On Recent NIA Incident with Police
By Pauline Waruguru
Nevis Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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| Former Premier of Nevis, Hon. Vance Amory |
The Concerned Citizens Movement’s leader, Vance Amory, yesterday (Monday) delivered a speech where he said that usurping of police powers can lead to a state of anarchy.
The speech was broadcast today (Monday) morning on Voice of Nevis (VON). Last Thursday night, the Premier of Nevis, Joseph Parry, through the call-in program “Tell Me” broadcast on Choice FM radio, raised his concern on how the Royal St. Kitts – Nevis Police Force had handled the Independent Day Drag race incident on Wednesday morning with “a lack of respect for the Nevis Island Administration.”
Amory, a former Premier of Nevis, expressed fears that interference with police powers would send the wrong message to young people. He cited manifestations of “tension and fear” and alleged that large numbers of people were afraid of being victimised. He also cited loss of dignity due to “irresponsible” utterances.
Parry, in his address on Choice FM radio said: “Several meetings were held between Minister Roberto Hector, and Superintendent Joseph Liburd and I. We discussed the areas of security, the ambulance, fire services and the crowd being away from any danger zones…all these important factors were discussed before the race, so I do not understand why he would prevent the drag race from taking place and not informing me or Minister Hector in advance about the situation properly.”
~~Adz:Right~~ Contacted for comment, Superintendent Joseph Liburd told SKNVibes today (Monday) he admitted having several consultations with NIA but said at the same time, private citizens and members of the business sector were contacting him and threatening to block roads. He said those protesting the race said they would invoke the section of the law that prevents such a race, “the police stopped the race after several people had raised concerns.” Superintendent Liburd said the change of mind by the police was communicated to the relevant authority on Tuesday night.
“However, I received word that the race would go on whether I liked it or not,” he said. According to, Raynaldo Chiverton, the President of Nevis Auto Sports the coordinators of the drag race, a private citizen was the first to block the road. Soon after; the police also blocked the road.
When asked whether Police in Nevis and NIA were getting along, he said: “Respect and a working relationship exist. Police will be there for everybody. We will be there for the civil society, the government, all Nevisians to ensure that Nevis remains peaceful.”
Amory told Nevis in his aired speech, that Ministers were not above the law and neither could they disregard law and order, “You need to understand your rules apply to you as well…do what is right and not what is politically correct.”
In his address on Choice FM radio, Parry told the listening audience that the Drag Race issue was not the first incident where Police and NIA had been at loggerheads.
“During the last Culturama season two incidents of discord took place. One was the “Last Lap” session which he said was stopped without notification to any government official and the other was when an agreement was made between the Police and Minister of Culture, Deputy Premier, Hon Hensley Daniel, who told the Police not to have the Pinney’s Beach Affair and the Herberts Beach Affair but to allow the Jouvert activities to continue until 3 p.m.”
“To the dismay of Minister Daniel the entire government and the huge crowd of revellers in Charlestown police stopped the jamming at 1 p.m and while the Pinney’s Beach event did not go on, Mr Parry said, “We later learned that not only did the Herberts Beach Affair not go on, but that political speeches were made at the event.”
Independent investigations by SKNVibes suggest that political fever in Nevis has remained high after the recent bi-election.
