BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – LESS than 30 minutes into last night’s (Oct. 30) Government Town Hall Meeting on the land-for-debt swap, a Halfway Tree resident was unceremoniously removed therefrom by a senior police officer for what he said was merely expressing his views on comments the Prime Minister made.
The meeting – chaired by Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas – was held at the Halfway Tree Community Centre and took place before a full house with at least 60 others assembled outside the building to observe the proceedings.
Chairman for the People’s Action Movement’s Constituency Number Four Group Clive Webster – originally of Old Road but who resides at Halfway Tree – was “chucked” and “shoved” out of the meeting by Head of Special Branch – Superintendent Merlese Dolphin.
Webster – SKNVibes observed – had made an attempt to verbally contradict a statement(s) Dr. Douglas was making during his opening statement and was issued a verbal warning.
He made a further attempt to interject some minutes later and, acting upon the direction of the PM, Superintendent Dolphin forced the man out of the building.
In an interview with SKNVibes, Webster explained the reason for his interruptions.
“The Prime Minister was making his presentation and he mentioned a few things which I felt were not really true to the extent that he made it sound as if when he got into office the national debt was where it is today, which caused him and his government to now engage in this land for debt arrangement to reduce the debt.
“So I voiced my objection whereby he mentioned that he does not want any interruptions, and in my view I was simply responding to the statement that he made which was inaccurate. And I felt it was also unjustified because his relative (name withheld) was shouting and talking in agreement with Denzil Douglas and the Prime Minister fed off that energy coming from his family and did not ask the police to remove him. But when I spoke – because I am of the opposite side – he asked Dolphin and he pushed me out of the building.”
A noticeably bothered Webster also voiced his concern to this media house about how he perceives Dr. Douglas’ instruction to the officer and the officer’s action in removing him from the meeting.
“It is simply the fundamental rights of the poorest of the poor in this land again have been trampled upon. What has happened to me this evening is injustice. There is nothing better to describe it than injustice.”
He said his main reason for attending the meeting was to forward a number of questions to the Prime Minister – questions of which he declined to inform this publication, as he had intentions of re-entering the meeting.
However an opportunity given by Dr. Douglas for re-entry was declined by Webster and, according to the explanation he forwarded to this publication, he did not return because “Dr. Douglas came to that meeting with a game plan and he put over his material to mislead people. And I am not comfortable playing in the game of Denzil Douglas. I am going to ask him my questions when I want to and where I want to…”
Notwithstanding, Webster spared no effort shouting his views from the outside of the building while presentations were made by a number of individuals, in addition to PM Douglas’.
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