BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - WITH the recent incidents in which allegations were made on both sides of the political divide in the twin-island Federation, it was observed that the political landscape in St. Kitts and Nevis has reached new heights.
The most recent allegation was within a statement made by Candidate for the People's Action Movement for Constituency Two Jonel Powell at a political meeting held at the Five Ways Junction and Central Street on Monday (Jan. 6).
At the meeting, Powell stated that officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force had a media representative pressed against a wall at Porte Zante during a protest by the opposition against the Prime Minister last Friday (Jan. 3).
Following the restriction of Team Unity from having a political meeting on Bank Street last Friday, the opposition and some supporters went to Porte Zante in protest after receiving word that Prime Minister Douglas was there.
Powell said that Ken Richards, WINN FM’s senior broadcast journalist, was pressed against a wall by police officers while they were trying to control the crowd.
"And, they [police] start to push back the crowd. And where Jamdown? Jamdown call me, he say, ‘Jonel come quick, come quick.' They were pushing back the crowd and they had Ken Richards from WINN FM jam up against the wall. Jamdown, where you be? Ah lie, ah lie?
"The police had a baton up against Ken Richards, and you know what I said? I said, 'Ah good.’ I said, 'I hope that you go back and report to the people of this country about what is happening here tonight...’ I said, 'I hope they push you down and report bout that.'" Powell claimed while calling on a supporter in the crowd to confirm.
When the latter part of the statement was made, some people in the crowd were obviously displeased and were heard saying that the Constituency Two candidate had no right to make such a comment.
But, that is not all!
On Wednesday (Jan. 8), WINN FM published that the Constituency Two candidate misrepresented the actions of the police with regards to Richards, stating that "there was no manhandling of its media representative as implied in the Powell statement".
Giving the reporter's side of the story, the media house stated that the police refused to give Richards the opportunity to speak to the pertinent people in the protest and Dr. Douglas.
"What actually happened was that the police, who were cordoning off the area, refused to allow this reporter access to the key players in the Friday protest and the Prime Minister, even when it was made clear to them that Winn FM’s Ken Richards was there in his capacity as a broadcaster attempting to get both sides of the story.
"Let’s hope lawyer/politician Jonel Powell gets it right the next time," the media house stated.
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