BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – LEADER of the People’s Action Movement and Parliamentary Representative of Constituency Number Five, Hon. Shawn Richards has cleared the air on the issue of him not staying in Parliament to cast his vote for or against the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank (Vesting in Certain Lands) Bill, 2012 .
This clarification was made at a land-for-debt swap meeting last evening (Nov. 6) held by the three leading community groups in Sandy Point - SPIRIT, SPACS and CIPEO.
Members of each group voiced their opinion on the Bill and their dissatisfaction with which the issue is being handled by the federal government.
The members, as well as a few other residents, also spoke out about their disappointment in their Constituency Representative not staying in Parliament on the night of September 21, 2012 to cast his vote against the Land Bill, especially after speaking out against it earlier in the day, and knowing that his constituents would not have been in favour of it.
Richards, after hearing what the people of his Constituency had to say, took to the podium to clear the air on the controversy.
"First of all, let me say that one needs to understand the parliamentary system in St. Kitts and Nevis. I have been a Member of Parliament for eight years now and I've participated in debates on a number of different Bills. During those debates one would get up and one would speak, indicating whether or not he or she supports the Bill which is being debated.
"At the end of the debate, the norm is for the Speaker to take a vote by asking those in favour or those against, and that is when you would hear either 'Aye' or 'Nay'. However if you go back and you check the Parliamentary records for any Bill which has been debated in Parliament, it doesn't tell you who voted for and who voted against because no record is taken as to who said 'Aye' or who said 'Nay'.
"So for persons to give the impression that persons spoke out against the Bill but as far as they concern they sort of gave consent to the Bill or their actions did not speak loud enough that is not the norm within the Parliamentary system here in St. Kitts and Nevis. You normally indicate your preference in terms of supporting a Bill or not supporting the Bill when you speak on the Bill," Richards explained.
The Parliamentary Representative went on to explain that there is something in Parliament which allows for a division vote, where each person would individually have to state how he or she votes, noting that that is the way it would be recorded who voted for or against a Bill.
He further explained that the division vote has never been exercised since his appointment as a Member of Parliament.
He challenged the Sandy Point residents to "tell me if you know when that has been exercised so that you know who voted for or who voted against a Bill".
"In regards to this Land swap Bill, the argument is being made that opposition members were not there to vote on the Bill, but opposition members got up and they indicated quite clearly that they were against the Bill.
"I spoke in Parliament for a whole hour and 11 minutes on this particular piece of legislation. You are only allowed to speak for one hour and so I had to ask the speaker for additional time to make my views known," he said.
He then made reference to the press release that was sent out by Disseminate It while the Bill was being debated in Parliament, stating that he was against reducing the cost of living because he was not in favour of the Land Bill.
Richards also stated that had the opposition requested a division vote, the Bill still would have been passed because they did not have the numbers to go up against the government, even though two of their members did not support the Bill.
He continued: "One of the persons who you hear speaking most about this Bill is Marcella Liburd. Marcella Liburd did not speak on the Bill and Marcella Liburd was not in Parliament when the vote was taken after 11:00 that night.
"Timothy Harris and Sam Condor, who spoke out against the Bill, left Parliament as soon as they finished speaking. Shawn Richards did not walk out of Parliament. I was in Parliament up until about 8:00 that night.
"When persons here also speaking about action and commitment, Shawn Richards was a US citizen and gave up his US citizenship to stand up for the people of this country. So I didn't have to be in Parliament speaking on this land issue, but just like how the rest of you are Kittitians and Sandy Pointers, so is Shawn Richards, and that is why Shawn Richards got up and he spoke on that issue and said to the government that he is against it," Richards voiced passionately.
Richards said when persons speak they must do so from an informed position, noting that the norm in Parliament is to indicate whether or not you are in favour or against a Bill, by indicating during their address to Parliament.
He said he does not agree with the Land Bill and made it clear during his address.
Richards, in closing, told the Constituency Five residents that if they were unhappy with his representation, vote him out as representative, but "make sure you get back your lands".
