BASSTERRE, St. Kitts – PRESIDENT of the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC) and the Federations Prime Minister, engaged in a verbal challenge today (Oct. 2) over the non-tabling of the Motion of No Confidence during the opening ceremony of the 2014 National Consultation on the Economy.
Giving remarks at the ceremony Chamber President Damion Hobson stated that the current political climate gives rise to major hurdles to economic advancement, some which could only be solved in the long term, while others can be immediately addressed.
“Free market enterprise needs democracy for it to flourish therefore, the current political structure in St. Kitts and Nevis is a major obstacle to the economic growth that we seek. The long term challenges of St. Kitts and Nevis that we seek cannot be solved over the next election cycle because it will require more careful study and collaboration across all divided lines.
“But what is solvable now is the almost two-year-old Motion of No Confidence filed December 11, 2012 and the other two filed in 2013 and 2014.”
He also reminded the Prime Minister of the importance of a Motion of No Confidence in democratic nation.
“As we said in our press release, 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.
“We remain with that conviction that the Speaker’s failure to permit the National Assembly to debate and vote on a Motion of No Confidence is a serious departure from the expected standards of democratic governance in our constitutional democracy. The failure to hear the Motion is a serious matter because it fails to adhere to the core values of democracy and we respectfully submit that it is a serious blot to our democracy.”
President Hobson called upon the Speaker of the House, the Hon. Curtis Martin to table the MoNC and for Prime Minister Douglas to ensure that it is tabled.
“The Chamber calls again on the Speaker to table the Motion we call on the Prime Minister to ensure the motion is tabled in keeping with the principles which he recognizes in his address to the Chamber December 12, 2012. He said then the Motion requires prioritized attention in the legislature.”
The Prime Minister – who is also the Minister of Finance – also made a presentation at the event and in response to Hobson’s urging, he questioned the motive behind the call.
“When we consider, that it was stated by the Opposition that the debt restructuring strategy that led to the origin of the Motion of No Confidence, we continue to wonder if the Chamber and its President have their heads buried in the sand.”
Dr. Douglas added that he was fully behind the Speaker’s decision to await for the Court’s ruling on the matter and declared he would not pressure him to table the MoNC.
“We continue very strongly to say that the strategies employed by this government…we have achieved marvellous things. I emphasize for all to know that we continue to support the Honourable Speaker of our National Assembly, for awaiting a decision of the Court on fundamental matters on which he seeks guidance before we can table the Motion of No Confidence.
“Hence I would say to the President of the Chamber and to all, as Prime Minister and Head of Government, I shall not in any way pressure the Honourable Speaker to table the Motion, because the Court has to advise him on fundamental matters that he brought to the Court for guidance.”
Dr. Douglas however noted that recent Opposition comments revealed that taking the matter to court was a plot employed by the Opposition in order to buy themselves some time.
“It was only recently that we heard the Opposition boasting about it; that they deliberately took the Motion of No Confidence Matter to Court, in order to deliberately delay the tabling of the Motion of No Confidence in order to give them time to put their house in order for the upcoming General Elections. The Chamber needs to listen to all sides.”
He was also of the firm view the non-tabling of the MoNC has in any way negatively affected the Federation’s economy.
“I want to say further, that we do not believe that the non-tabling of the Motion of No Confidence in anyway has undermined the economic progress of our country and if it has imagine what it would have been having achieved what we have achieved to date.
“And so I say then let us put aside our political differences at this time and work together to move the country forward.”
