BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SUGGESTIONS that the disgraceful stone-throwing incident at Old Road is linked to a private organisation or was a personal attack on Eugene Hamilton have been counted as utter nonsense and bear no truth.
Rather, according to Hamilton, the Deputy Leader for the People’s Action Movement (PAM), the incident was purely politically motivated and should be condemned at all levels.
While speaking on WINNFM 98.9 weekly programme, “Inside the News”, Hamilton said he heard several rumours concerning the motive behind the attack. He said one of those rumours include a particular school of thought which suggests that someone having a grievance with British American, the insurance company he represents, retaliated on the March 27-incident.
He expressed with conviction that while the attack was politically motivated, it was by no means a personal attack and it was by sheer happenstance that he was the victim.
“Some people are small minded enough to have people think that it is anything other than an attack on the People’s Action Movement. In fact, maybe that is what the problem is. Because the truth is, persons who have made comments, I’m told, made by Minister Liburd and others, have said an attack on Eugene Hamilton. It was not an attack on Eugene Hamilton. It was an attack on a gathering of people in Old Road in which Eugene Hamilton got injured and, so as a result of that, persons might be saying something about British American.
“In fact, a car was damaged. The car doesn’t belong to me. The car belonged to no one who works at British American and, so therefore, I am not sure where British American comes in. Because the truth is, if I have injured anyone at British American, if I am in the way of someone who is having a problem with British American, there are more secret places, private places where I am located on which an attack on me would have been more appropriate to come in the public view of all of those persons...to actually hit me. So, let’s be clear; it was not an attack on Eugene Hamilton.”
The Deputy Leader said the incident could have ended in any of a number of other ways but, as fate would have it, “it just happened to me”.
Recognising the proverbial silver lining behind the dark cloud, Hamilton said the situation presented “a golden opportunity” for Labour Party leaders, in particular the Prime Minister, “to rally the nation on the issue of crime, on the issue of misconduct especially when it comes to conducting themselves with restraint around political parties which must have opposing opinions of the government on all issues”.
Hamilton said the opportunity was not ceased however. He fervently urged that persons make conscious efforts to exercise restraint and desist from exacting revenge.
“...I take this opportunity to make the call for supporters and well-wishers to refrain from retaliation and to show restraint. The reason I am saying that is because I’ve heard the statement made...that what has begun in Old Road is going to finish in Cayon. Once again, therefore, I urge all to listen to themselves as they speak those words and to refrain from conducting themselves in a way that would escalate an already intense situation.
“I would have no part of that! In fact, let me say clearly and unequivocally that I condemn violence. I cannot, however, make that call upon citizens and especially upon people in Constituency Eight and particularly those people in Cayon...We have to condemn it on all sides, and I will not have any part of anything anybody interfering with the Labour Party’s functions anywhere or political programmes or meetings anywhere. I do not condone it and this is what I want to hear from all sides. Condemn it! Condemn it!”
