In an article written by G.A. Dwyer Astaphan and posted on the SKNVibes website on 6 November 2014, the former parliamentarian sought to peddle lies about the National Integrity Party (NIP) of which I have the honour and privilege to lead. In his customary style, Dwyer chose to lie about the NIP’s relationship with other political parties in the federation when he knows full well that the NIP STANDS ALONE!
But I am not surprised because I cannot say that Dwyer knows how to speak the truth. Some years ago, he confessed about his lying tongue in an article he wrote in the Labour Spokesman. The said article revealed the true nature of his devious character.
Dwyer of all people should know about real (not perceived) political a-lie-ances. If he is true to himself, he would tell you that way back in 1995 he formed an a-lie-ance with Dr. Denzil Douglas and the Labour Party to defeat Prime Minister Dr. Kenndey Simmonds and PAM in Central Basseterre. Before, joining Douglas and Labour, Dwyer was a political nobody. Douglas and Labour built him, gave him a political career, a secured salary and sizeable pension. And during that period, he heaped tons of insults on members and supporters of the People’s Action Movement (PAM). In fact, Billy Herbert’s sisters bore the brunt of his vicious verbal attacks from the political platform. I remember at one Labour public meeting how he insinuated that Billy Herbert’s sisters were ugly. Well Dwyer, I wonder if they are still ugly today. Perhaps you now have a different opinion because you need their resources to carry out you diabolical schemes.
Sir Kennedy got his share of insults too. And boy you know Dwyer can ‘cuss’. The amount of verbal diarrhea that Dwyer spewed at Sir Kennedy post-1995 can fill up the Solid Waste landfill more than a thousand times. In the end, Sir Kennedy had to run away to Anguilla to escape Dwyer’s lying tongue. And with all that Dwyer said to humiliate Sir Kennedy, he still had the gall to befriend the former Prime Minister. One day, while I was standing on Fort Street, I happened to see Dwyer and Sir Kennedy passing each other. I saw the pain of Dwyer’s abuse in Sir Kennedy’s eyes as he saw Dwyer approaching him. Then I saw the guilt then sly grin of Dwyer as his eyes met those of Sir Kennedy. There was no mercy, regret or apology in Dwyer’s eyes. Instead, I saw deceit. He then tried to start a conversation with Sir Kennedy by telling Sir Kennedy how young he looks. That’s the psychology of Dwyer. Curse you then ‘fren’ up to you when he wants something real bad. Dwyer wants power and he is on the hunt for it.
Dwyer outwitted himself when he abandoned the a-lie-ance he had with the Labour Party and its leadership. He no longer had power – power that he wielded in the past to let his enemies know who was boss. Ask Ellie Matt and King Socrates about how bad “Sour Grapes” can be. Ask Clive Bacchus how spiteful Dwyer can be.
After losing that power, Dwyer sought to make new political a-lie-ances. Ask Mitch about the business proposal (Or is it demands?). Mitch smelled a rat from miles away and ran for his dear life. I also heard plenty talk about a move to control the SIDF but the government refused to give in. The grapes then turned from sour to bitter.
Dwyer doesn’t give in easily. He is cunning and manipulative. He saw an opportunity to form a new a-lie-ance with Tim and Sam. Dwyer doesn’t care one iota what happens to Tim and Sam. For him, the end justifies the means. This new a-lie-ance has to work even if it meant destroying the Labour Party. He knew that Tim has an insatiable desire to become prime minister and therefore Tim could be manipulated to create confusion in the Labour Party. But Tim was not enough. He had to get Sam in the mix. Sam was the easiest part. So he patiently used his training in psychology to drive a wedge between Sam and the prime minister. Both Sam and Tim fell for the bait. A new a-lie-ance was formed.
The new a-lie-ance was not enough to wrestle power from the Labour Party government. Dwyer then saw the opportunity to form an unholy a-lie-ance with PAM. He knew PAM was very weak and disorganized and his training in psychology told him that it was best to strike in PAM’s moment of weakness. He knew that the leadership of PAM was suffering from a mental condition like the Battered Woman Syndrome and would embrace him in spite of all the abusive insults he hurled against the party and its supporters in the past. He knew that this unholy a-lie-ance would not be built on trust but a common desire for money and power. And he knew that a weakened PAM would force Shawn and Eugene to give up the leadership to Tim, the very man whom they feared more than Douglas. May the soul of Ben Phipps rest in peace.
Dwyer then formed an a-lie-ance with Massa Caines in a so-called rescue operation. But Dwyer knew that the only person who needed rescuing was himself. However, Massa had plenty money to spend and was a good source of funding. The sad thing is that Massa is in his old age and has lost the shrewdness that would have spotted Dwyer’s real motive. The rescue operation did not work out so Dwyer had to go deeper into the heart of PAM and form a new a-lie-ance with his front men.
Dwyer also knew that PAM would be destroyed in the process. The strategy? Kill two birds with one stone. Destroy the old identity of PAM and replaced it with the symbol of the unity concoction. So today, there is no PAM. Even the hat has been removed from the yellow campaign strips of PAM candidates and replaced by the symbol of the unity concoction. Even the PAM executive is non-functional. Dwyer is now grinning from ear to ear instead from out of one corner of his mouth.
But there is a big problem. The unholy a-lie-ance is not working out. We the people have seen the hypocrisy, lies and deceit in their marriage of convenience. And so the new strategy is to blame everybody and everything that appears to stand in the way of the unity concoction. The National Integrity Party (NIP) appears to be in the way of those who are greedy for money and power. That is why they are relentlessly attacking the NIP. They are scared of the NIP, the voice of reason in the politics of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Dwyer and his sidekicks do not like the responsible opposition to government that the NIP is providing. They want the NIP to join their bandwagon of bad-talkers and power-hungry back-stabbers who will do anything to bring down the government. Their modus operandi are to make the country look bad at home and abroad; spread propaganda, lies and half-truths about members of the government; and offer pie-in-the-sky promises to unsuspecting voters.
The NIP is different. We criticize the government but do so responsibly. The NIP is on record calling for the MONC to be debated expeditiously. Is that supporting Douglas and his government? The NIP is on record calling on the government to pass good governance legislation. Is that supporting Douglas and his government? The NIP is on record calling on the government to remove VAT from food and medicine as the economy improves. Is that supporting Douglas and his government? The NIP is on record calling on the government to give National Hero status to Sir Kennedy. Is that supporting Prime Minister Douglas and his government? Certainly not!
The NIP is also on record congratulating the PLP on its formation. However, Tim preferred to hurl insults and wrongful accusations against the leadership of the NIP. That is why we have maintained that Tim has not changed. He is still the same vindictive and spiteful man who executed his vengeance on the supporters of PAM. He has been trained well by Dwyer.
The NIP is providing an alternative to the government and to the way politics is practiced in our federation. We are providing a different way forward by being a responsible opposition party. The unity concoction only curses and criticizes. They do not offer any real substance to the political debate.
Dwyer needs to understand that he is no longer a power player in our local politics. He is a political dinosaur that is fighting very hard to remain relevant. But fossils do not come back alive. They are simply relics of the past.
When you disturb an ants’ nest or hornets’ nest, you run the risk of being bitten. My advice to you? Remove your lying tongue and leave good people alone.
Until next time,
Plenty more peace!
