Progress as a nation since 1983
BASSETERRE- St. Kitts - The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis recently celebrated the 31st Anniversary of Independence and former Government Minister and social commentator, G. A. Dwyer Astaphan, gave his comments on how far we have progressed as an independent nation.
In an exclusive interview with SKNVibes, Astaphan was of the opinion that 31 years after independence, the struggle to gain self-rule was being trampled upon.
“So now you are asking me where are we 31 years later? The rule of law is not being respected by who is governing the country; the Constitution is being made a mockery of, the century’s old struggle to be empowered through land… A great character once said those who control the land control the country.
“That great march forward in 1975 to acquire the land has been systematically reversed by the present administration with acres and acres going in a Land for Debt Swap out of a national debt that reached $3B that was avoidable.”
Astaphan expressed that there has also been the erosion of moral values and behavior, something that he said is contrary to the Federation’s moto.
“You have the breaking down of values among the people and morals and ethics and mass corruption and materialism that reign because of the behavior that goes 180 degrees opposite to the mantra in our nation, country above self.”
Astaphan also stated that the country is suffering from a number of social and economic issues.
“You have a hospital system that is in dire need of repair, similarly to the National Security apparatus. You have over 3000 young people on a temporary work programme because you fail to empower them to put them in sustainable work and entrepreneurship.
“...You have a union that is nearly dead. Worker rights have deteriorated; workers are afraid to stand up to employers or even to speak to their coworkers because they are afraid of retribution and afraid of losing their work. People are being registered to vote in constituencies in which they do not live or never lived.
“The whole culture has become a culture of disrespect and cheats which is the total antithesis of what independence is all about.”
He said the place in which the country is 31 years after independence is not a good one.
“So if you ask me to say in a nutshell about where we are as opposed to 31 years ago, I would tell you we not in a good place. Putting up a building or a condo does not translate to development of the people.
“People are coming in and feeding off whatever fat we have as a nation, very little of the money is coming in and much of what comes in goes back out and our people are on the margin of all the opportunity they say they are creating. I am not one who is sold that we have made an enormous amount of progress. In fact, we have regressed tragically and shamefully. Independence is a great thing but these are the things that come with it and they are not with it.”
He was also critical of the leadership of the country, on whom he lays blame for this adapted culture.
“You have a leader who has refused to face a Motion of No Confidence in the Parliament despite the provisions of the Constitution. Absolutely no respect…absolutely none.
“You have divisiveness like never before, worst than it ever was…an independent nation needs people to hold hands and put shoulder to the wheel and push the country forward and upward … people are against each other for one reason or another and those who lead, feed off that divisiveness.”
“So we might be independent on paper and independent officially, but in terms of progress made, we have really not done well in the last 31 years.”
