BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC), has made another plea to the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Hon. Curtis Martin, to table the Motion of No Confidence (MoNC), filed by the Opposition.
In a press release disseminated yesterday (Sept. 23), the CIC stated that it deems the lingering and unresolved MoNC as the most outstanding issue.
“As St. Kitts and Nevis concludes celebration of another year of nationhood and faces the challenges ahead, the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of industry and Commerce regards the most important outstanding issue to be resolution of the Motion of No Confidence ("MONC") which has been lingering for 21 months.”
The release added that a government’s respect for democratic ethics, is a vital component for the economic development of the country.
“A respect by Government for democratic principles is an essential element of the economic development of a small developing country such as ours. The democracy, and consequently the economic development of St. Kitts and Nevis, will be tenuous at best so long as the major legislative organ of the state, namely the National Assembly, continues to be operated in an undemocratic manner with complete disregard for the majority of the elected Representatives of that body.”
The CIC expressed that the Speaker’s failure to allow debate on the MoNC is an aberration from the expected standards of democratic governance.
“The Speaker's failure to permit the National Assembly to debate and vote on the MONC is a serious departure from the expected standards of democratic governance in our constitutional democracy. lt is a serious blot on our democracy and a major deterrent to the advancement of our nation.”
“The Chamber calls again on the Speaker to table the MONC. We call on the Prime Minister to ensure that the MONC is tabled in keeping with the principle which he recognised in his address to the Chamber in December 2012 that a MONC requires priority attention in the legislature.”
Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition the Hon. Mark Brantley, first filed a Motion of No Confidence in December of 2012. Another was filed by Opposition MP the Hon. Shawn Richards in July of 2013. And a third was filed by the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris on September 15, 2014.
Last week during an “emergency sitting of Parliament”, Dr. Harris alerted the Speaker of the third filing of a MONC and was hoping for a speedy resolution of the matter.
However, in response the Speaker stated that just like the others that were filed previously, it would not be tabled until a lingering court matter has been settled.
“I can apprise you now…that Motion will go nowhere ahead of where we are with the Court with respect to the matter of a Motion of No Confidence, and I am sure you are aware I have already ruled on that matter and that is where it sits.”
