BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - AS the protesting continues, Team Unity Leader the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris was - this morning (Mar. 4) - given the opportunity to hold and audience with Speaker of the National Assembly the Hon. Curtis Martin and the General Manager of his place of employment, Dawn Williams.
Picketing actions has been taken since mid-February 2014 by members and supporters of the Unity Movement who have been agitating for the Motion of No Confidence to be tabled and debated in the Federal Parliament soonest.
This morning sometime around 6:30 a.m., protesters began gathering outside the St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla National Bank (SKNANB) where the National Assembly Speaker works.
However, unlike yesterday when the Speaker arrived for work at about 9:25 a.m. today - it appears - he arrived for work before picketers had arrived to their posts.
As was explained by Dr. Harris, the Chief Executive Officer arrived for work around 8:00 a.m. and while entering the Bank, an arrangement was made and a meeting with the Speaker was facilitated.
“This morning...while we were here the General Manager of the Bank passed and we were shouting basically ‘call the motion’, ‘a peaceful word with the Speaker’. Thankfully she accommodated us...she invited me in to have a word with the Speaker.”
He further explained that he, the Speaker and CEO Williams were in attendance of that “meeting”.
“I spoke to her and the Speaker, she was present while we spoke. She asked what was our concern and issues. I explained we had no issue with the bank, we have an issue with the Speaker who is obviously working at the Bank.
“These is only one matter which the Speaker has to do for us and that is to notify us when he will hear the Motion of No Confidence; that since the Judge gave a pellucid judgment which freed him of any impediment to the calling of the Motion, he has not responded and we are therefore awaiting the response. And that the response has to be known and...the convening of the Parliament has to be a public matter. Our expectation that this now has to be a priority for the Parliament...”
Commenting on the Speaker’s reaction and or response to his comments, Harris explained: “Basically the Speaker stood quietly trembling and couldn’t utter one word. When his turn came to speak, basically he got up trembling and left the meeting place...He did not respond and the conversation then continued with myself and the CEO...”
Following the “meeting”, protesters remained assembled on the outside of the Bank repeatedly shouting “call the motion” as specific individuals passed by to enter the doors of the financial institution. These individuals - SKNVibes understands - included senior officials from other banking institutions within the Federation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SKNANB - Lincoln Maynard.
Dr. Harris declared that he and his team are involved in “a fight for democracy. It is not a fight so much with the Speaker as it is for him to do the right thing in the context of our constitutional democracy.
“Today, we achieved what we had not achieved for the last days since the 12th (February) that we have been protesting. We had - through me - the first face-to-face encounter with the Speaker facilitated at this Bank.”
SKNVibes again made attempts to the Hon. Speaker via telephone but those attempts were futile.
