BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FORMER Parliamentarian Dwyer Astaphan has commended Lindsay F. Grant on his move to resign as Political Leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM), but said some of his comments in doing so have raised questions in his mind.
Grant, during a specially-convened press conference held yesterday (July 17) at the Ocean Terrace Inn, announced that he has tendered his resignation to take effect on September 30, 2012.
Following that announcement, Astaphan – in speaking with this publication – expressed that Grant deserves credit for demitting that post and allowing someone else to sit at the helm.
The press conference also saw Grant informing the St. Kitts-Nevis populace that although he was resigning, he would still be campaigning in the Number Four Constituency for PAM.
This announcement, according to Astaphan, caused him some concern.
“He was very strong when he said he was going to be the candidate and I would have thought that he might have used his words somewhat more carefully, indicating that he is willing to serve the party as the candidate but he will leave that for the party leadership and the party itself to decide…
“Now, if he stood down from the leadership…I am presuming – and I could be wrong – that he has done so not just on feelings but on scientific data which would have indicated that the best interest of the party would be served by another leader. And if that scientific data exists, I would hope that it would show his viability, his chances of success…as a candidate in Constituency Number Four.”
Another pronouncement made by Grant at the press conference that Astaphan questioned, was that the new candidates for PAM have already been identified. He said this suggests that the identified individuals might be the first preference of Grant – the outgoing political leader – and not necessarily that of the incoming leader, whoever he or she would be.
“Another thing he said that concerned me was that the new candidates have already been – if you will – identified. If you are having a new leader within the next couple of months and Mr. Grant is stepping down, then one would imagine he would be basically holding on for the new leader, helping the new leader prepare for his or her dispensation as leader.
“But, if he said that the new candidates have already been identified, some people can infer – rightly or wrongly – that some or all of these candidates may be his preferences as the present leader and may not be the first preferences of the incoming leader and the incoming dispensation under the new leader. That is something that I personally would not have said. Again, maybe my perceptions are wrong.”
Astaphan – a former candidate for the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party – said Grant’s resignation is “the right move for him, for the party and, by extension, for democracy”. He said because of it, PAM’s chances of becoming a more robust political entity in terms of keeping the government’s feet to the proverbial fire have increased.
He however cautioned that “people should not expect miracles overnight”.
