Call On PM Douglas To Join "Hope, Peace and Unity"

~~Adz:Left~~Basseterre; St. Kitts - The People's Action Movement (PAM) strongly objects to the Prime Minister's decision to derail "HOPE, PEACE AND UNITY" by departing for Mexico City, well in advance of the 2008 Aids Conference, which is not scheduled until August 3-8, 2008.

The March and Rally for "HOPE, PEACE AND UNITY" has been organized by the members of Hope Methodist Church, the residents of Newtown and surrounding areas, and is scheduled to take place on August 1, 2008. All political parties were invited to be part of this March and Rally.

The Newtown area in particular has been plagued by a number of murders for the year. Residents of the area are afraid of walking the streets at nights, businesses have been forced to reduce their opening hours and the entire community is under siege.

The People's Action Movement is committed to working with other stakeholders to pursue long-term objectives which include intervention, family support and after school programmes, and has accepted the invitation to join this March and Rally for "HOPE, PEACE AND UNITY" on August 1,2008.

The August 1, 2008, March and Rally for "HOPE, PEACE AND UNITY", however, has now been postponed indefinitely, due to Prime Minister Dr. Douglas' advance departure to Mexico City, despite the fact that this Conference is not scheduled until August 3, 2008.

It is time for the Prime Minister to stop paying lip service to the issue of crime. PM Douglas must not be allowed to continue accusing Kittitians and Nevisians of being bad parents, in order to find scapegoats for the Labour Government's incompetence.

St. Kitts and Nevis is facing crisis-13 murders so far for 2008, means that we witness a killing every two weeks in St. Kitts and Nevis. That is, almost every 14 days another young person is murdered-Our National Response on Crime is therefore critical.

As a matter of national urgency, the People's Action Movement calls on Prime Minister Dr. Douglas to attend the March and Rally for "HOPE, PEACE AND UNITY", scheduled August 1, 2008. We also call on the Prime Minister as a matter of national urgency to convene a meeting with the opposition, the churches, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and all stakeholders to wage an effective war on crime.

In the absence of the above, we call on the Prime Minister to resign in the national interest.