Demonstration against land-for-debt swap
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE initial shock and outrage experienced with the recent passage of the land-for-debt legislation continues to resonate across the Federation, with the latest display of disgust and disapproval being a two-man demonstration held in front of Government Headquarters earlier today, October 31, 2012.
Sometime around 10:00 a.m., Operation Rescue members Richard Caines and Washington ‘Washie’ Archibald stood on Church Street on the opposite side of Government Headquarters with one carrying placards and the other distributed copies of a document.
Caines – a member of the former People’s Action Movement-administration – carried two placards suspended from his neck with one covering the front portion of his body and the other covering his back.
The front placard read, “SO WHAT LAND GIVE AWAY EVEN GOV MINISTER DISAGREE CORRUPTION ON A SPREE IN SKB DONT BELIEVE ME ASK T-MO-T.”
And the smaller of the two which was suspended at his back read, “IS LEX CONSULTING ALSO IN THE DUBAI LAND DEAL.”
According to Caines, the demonstration was being held as a message to Prime Minister Denzil Douglas and the government that “there are those of us in this country who do not support the position that he has adopted to sell out or give away the lands to people who don’t belong to here”.
Archibald was distributing copies of a document which outlines the history of St. Kitts and the trail that the passage of land has taken since the 1620s.
“We are doing this in order to send a message that we are willing to defend out land. We believe in this situation...our land is under siege. We believe that there is a plot between Dr. Douglas and the National Bank to take away the land from our people.”
In late September 2012, the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank (Vesting of Certain Lands) Bill 2012 was passed into law which provided for 1 200 acres of crown land to be transferred to the bank for the settlement of government’s $700M debt to that institution.
Concerns were raised by different individuals and groups who suggested that the sale of the 1 200 acres of land would not be enough to settle the debt.
Archibald – a historian, educator and social activist – expressed his opinion that this land-for-debt swap is only the first phase of a plan “which would deprive our country, our future generations of the land on which their ancestors toiled as slaves. We believe that now that the sugar industry has died, that land should come to the people as a reparation for the people for the injustice of slavery through which their parents and grandparents, the ancestors passed in order to enrich the Europeans”.
This – he explained – is a regressive move and the impact of the government’s decision would not be felt until some 20 years hence.
“Mr. Bradshaw – I believe – is turning in his grave just to see the abomination that is taking place with the land. Bradshaw was so extreme that he had an alien land-holding act which prevented strangers from coming in and taking possession of our land.
“Now look at what is happening. One of Bradshaw’s successors has actually decided to sell the land to strangers, the totally opposite thing from what Bradshaw intended and did. This is a shame, it’s a disgrace and I believe it is high treason against the people.”
Both Caines and Archibald have indicated that there would be a repeat of today’s demonstration tomorrow and other plans are afoot to “keep the message always in the face of the people because this is a serious message”.
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