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Posted: Thursday 26 February, 2015 at 1:05 PM

PM Harris calls on political appointees to resign

Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris
By: Stanford Conway, SKNVibes.com

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris has claimed that his Government has encountered some challenges in the transition process because some civil servants were encouraged to delve into politics under the Dr. Denzil Douglas-led Administration. And he is calling on all political appointees to tender their resignation.

     

    Dr. Harris made this disclosure at the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce Annual General Meeting held yesterday (Feb. 25) at the Nirvana Restaurant.

    “It has been challenging! Challenging in the way we practice democracy in a very tribal and tribalistic way. So you have Permanent Secretaries who became campaign managers and politicians and we don’t have time for transition in St. Kitts and Nevis and in the Caribbean. We don’t have the luxury of the American Presidential system with its checks and balances; so after an election the President rests and gets ready for somewhere in January.

    “Our system demands that by the very next day a new government to put in place to ensure stability and peace. And yet, when the civil service that has to be the fulcrum of government’s action become so politically partisan, it creates a problem. Creates a problem for them who then imbibe the fear, the fear that what they had done in the campaign was wrong, and now they have to reconcile that the people have spoken otherwise,” Dr. Harris said.

    He stressed that it breeds to uncertainty in the relationship because his Ministers are human and some of them had double trouble dealing with so-called civil servants in the political marketplace. 

    The newly-elected Prime Minister intoned that his Administration wants to return to the days when civil servants were apolitical.

    “We have said that we want to reverse that. We want to go back to the good old days when civil servants understand that there is a need for restraint in terms of political participation so that they could serve, as is the reasonable expectation, in administration that the people want to have.”

    Turning his attention to government-appointed board members, Dr. Harris stated that they have not yet submitted their letter of resignation and that, to some degree, is also creating a problem in the transition process.

    “...We have made a public request to those who know that they are the political appointees, but there is really no gain to the country by delaying the resignation letters. Clearly, for example, it would be unthinkable for the chairman of a board who served as the campaign chairman of the party now in opposition would want to continue in that role.

    “That is a problem, and you could go from institution to institution. And I believe it behoves us, myself and my Cabinet colleague, as we attempt to chart the new way forward, that we become more sensitive to these things.”

    Dr. Harris emphasised that St. Kitts and Nevis is a small country and his Government has to be kinder and gentler, but “we also have to be more sensible in our choice and the things in which we encourage people to do”.

    He continued: “The Administration, so far, has shown incredible restraint and had given people time to do the decent thing. But the country can’t be out on pause! Things have to be done at every institution - National Bank, Development Bank, SIDF – and we need that opportunity to be able to have our policies implemented and withstand the test of time; at least the five-year period of tenure which we have on contract. And so I would invite those in the Chamber to use their good influence to ensure that the transition can be even more smooth than it hitherto has been.”

    Dr. Harris declared that one of his Government has a number of approaches to the situation.

    “Some people have been advised not to tender their resignation. That is one approach. There is another approach which the Government can take, but we want to give people a fair chance to do the right thing. We are moving ahead, the people have spoken! We ourselves have said all along that whatever the outcome in free and fair elections, Team Unity would abide by it.”
     
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