BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DESPITE widespread public outrage at the aggressive rhetoric utilised by Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas at a recent public meeting, the St. Kitts Labour Party Leader has said he does not need to apologise.
Douglas refused to apologise despite a caller to his weekly “Ask the PM” radio show asking him to do so.
The meeting in question occurred in Old Road on Thursday, April 2, hours after a national march and rally against crime and violence. During his presentation to a crowd of party supporters, Douglas attacked the character of People’s Action Movement (PAM) Leader Lindsay Grant, calling him a “fraud”, “arrogant” and “grudging”.
He then said, “Boy he gon get so much licks in he backside, you hear! So much blows, I gon can’t find where on the body to blows him! I gon can’t even find place on he body to blows him! Left, right, uppercut, punch! Uppercut, punch! Uppercut, punch!”
However, Douglas claims the aforementioned statement was not directed towards Grant and that he was instead referring to Junie Hodge, PAM Candidate for Constituency Six.
“I was very severe on my attack against Mr. Grant, basically outlining to the public that he’s not a better candidate for Constituency Number Four than Glen ‘Ghost’ Phillip. I used good, harsh language that is good for the political rhetoric - that he must not be trusted, he is vindictive, he is fraudulent in representing certain facts and he holds grudges for a very long time.
“During my presentation, Junie Hodge passed through and someone said to me, “PM, he say he gon give you blows.” And I responded to that by saying, “I gon give him so much blows you can’t find places on he body to blows.” And I started to say uppercut, punch in the good spirit of a campaign, in the good spirit of two boxers fighting in a ring,” said Douglas.
“Next thing everybody is saying I have been violent on the platform. Everybody knows the context in which it was said. But because PAM and its supporters are desperate, that is why you have this kind of nonsense.”
He stressed that he was by no means “a violent person”, but that he was passionate and no one could prevent him from being so.
“I know what I need to apologise to the people of St. Kitts about. I do not have to apologise to the people of St. Kitts for this. It seems as though some persons want to shower blame where there is no need to do so, and believe that all Kittitians are stupid and can’t think for themselves.
“I meant no physical harm to Mr. Hodge or Mr. Grant. I am a very peaceful person but I am passionate. Nobody is going to take away my passion on the platform because they are clutching at a case of political straws,” asserted Douglas.
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