BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A regional media house, Barbados Today, stated that it is fearful of other political leaders in the Caribbean region following the decision taken last Friday by Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Denzil Douglas to ensure his St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party remains in office.
“We concur for fear that others in this region would readily follow Douglas’ harmful precedent – disregarding constitution and people, moral and ethical behaviour, not to mention common decency – for the singular purpose of remaining in power at all costs."
This statement and others were made in an editorial of the media house dated 19th January 2015 and headlined “Dr. Denzil Douglas has done it again”.
It noted that just when they thought Dr. Douglas had exhausted all means at his disposal for denying the opposition’s wish for fresh general elections, as well as ensuring that there could only be one result when he actually announces the date for the much-anticipated poll, he had outfoxed them all, or so he might have thought, not least of all, his political opponents.
“During a hastily-convened emergency parliamentary session late last week, which clearly took members of the opposition Team Unity by surprise, including Douglas’ former deputy Sam Condor, the prime minister moved swiftly to dissolve the National Assembly after getting the necessary approval for Governor General Sir Edmund Lawrence to sign an official proclamation, which would give effect to new electoral boundaries,” the editorial read.
Quoting Dr. Douglas, it said: “The proclamation speaks to the boundaries as have been revised after several years and months of sitting of the Constituency Boundaries Commission”, adding that he forcibly pushed the matter through the National Assembly on Friday.
“Ironically, the same parliament has been dragging its feet for the past two years on an opposition-sponsored motion of no confidence against the government, which also lost another senior cabinet minister, Timothy Harris, over the course of its last tumultuous five-year term,” it added.
The editorial claimed that the Labour Party therefore seems on course to get its much-desired fifth consecutive term in office; a feat that would put Dr. Douglas in the Federation’s record books for good, and “assure him of Napoleonic bragging rights for a long, long time to come”.
“That the 62-year-old prime minister, who celebrated his birthday on January 14, has been able to successfully pull off such a stunt would be quite amusing, laughable even, had it not occurred at a very high price for the process of democracy in the twin island Federation,” it noted.
The media house stated that they hold no brief for any of the parties affected by “this very shameful, Third World-looking political charade”.
They however stated that they were forced to agree with the position taken by the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Commerce, the St Kitts Christian Council, the Evangelical Association and the St. Kitts Small Business Forum.
“We believe it is also a sad day for our region as a whole,” they also stated.
The editorial condemned the deafening silence of other government in the region and accused the CARICOM Secretariat of treating last Friday’s debacle as just another general news item posted on its official website for regional consumption.
“While we understand “the need for respect of diplomatic propriety and for adherence to the principles of non interference in the domestic affairs of member states”, as has been emphasized in the case of Guyana and its pending elections, we believe there are just some overarching issues on which CARICOM must at all times maintain common ground.
“Therefore, just as the Irwin LaRocque-led CARICOM Secretariat has urged with Boko Haram, it must lift its voice and insist on greater urgency when it comes to matters, which appear to trifle with its mandate for upholding and defending our democracy,” the editorial pointed out.
The editorial postulated that as members of the Commonwealth family, the Caribbean nation have always stood in the vanguard and have aligned themselves with others known for maintaining the best democratic principles.
“Now therefore is not a time for us to appear to be faltering on the altar of expediency, especially when one of our own appears to have so blatantly stepped out of line,” it proclaimed.
The editorial suggested that maybe there needs to be consideration of term limits for Caribbean leaders, so that there could be no confusion, least of all by them, over when they have reached their “expiry” date, by which time they must gracefully ride off into the political sunset.
As a result of what transpired last Friday, the Opposition had filed an injunction, even though the proclamation had already been signed by the Governor General and gazetted hours before the injunction order was signed by the judge, and the matter is scheduled to be heard today (Jan. 22) at the Basseterre High Court.
