Says he owes no allegiance to Dominica
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – LEADER of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas has debunked the statement made by Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy and categorically stated that he owes no oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Dr. Douglas made that pronouncement yesterday (Oct. 26) in response to Dr. Harris’ claim that he is the holder of a diplomatic Dominican passport, which he had used on trips in the Caribbean region and further afield.
“In keeping with its pledge to the people of the Federation, the Government continues to investigate circumstances surrounding the issuance of a diplomatic Dominican passport to the Leader of the Opposition and the potential consequences to both the Federal interest of St. Kitts and Nevis and, of course, the best interest of the people of our beloved Federation.
“The investigation has revealed that Dr. Denzil Douglas, Leader of the Opposition, has a diplomatic passport – DP0000462 – issued by the Government of Dominica on the 30th of July 2015 and bearing the expiry date of the 29th February 2020. The said passport has listed his nationality as Dominican,” Dr. Harris said.
Dr. Harris also said that in order to protect the interests of the Federation and its loyal people, “the Government is in the process of finalizing an application to the High Court seeking declarations that the Leader of the Opposition is no longer eligible to continue sitting as a Representative in the National Assembly, and that he should accordingly be required to vacate his seat”.
In his response, Dr. Douglas said: “Whether or not I have a diplomatic passport, which for present purposes is not relevant, I owe no oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth of Dominica. I am not a citizen of Dominica. I am not a national of Dominica and have sworn no oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth of Dominica or any other country for that matter. I have made no application for citizenship of Dominica. The only country I have an oath of allegiance to and which I have dedicated my life to is the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis;”
In his opening remarks, Dr. Douglas said that the Prime Minister’s statement was “firstly intended to rekindle his failed leadership. Secondly, it was to threaten with his dictatorial tactics to get me and the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party out of Parliament because the polls are indicating that my leadership was far superior to his”.
The former Prime Minister also spoke to the Team Unity Government’s intention of taking the matter to court.
“Dr. Harris knows and has been advised that what he is attempting to do in making an application to the High Court seeking a declaration that the Leader of the Opposition is no longer eligible to continue sitting as a representative in our National Assembly and to vacate his seat, is a waste of time of the court and tax payers money”.
To this end, Dr. Douglas made reference to the case of a former Minister in his then Labour Party Government, stating that there is the “precedent in the St. Kitts and Nevis Court and the Eastern Caribbean Court of the Hon. Dwyer Astaphan case where the High Court ruled that you cannot remove an elected member of the House for any alleged reason of disqualification or otherwise other than by way of an Election Petition”.
He claimed that Dr. Harris has come to realise that his deception has been revealed and he now stands naked in his true state before the people of the country and his Cabinet colleagues, who wish that he was gone.
“In fact, Dr. Harris has taken corruption, cronyism and nepotism to unprecedented levels in St. Kitts and Nevis and throughout this entire region. He has brought untold hardship in the lives of our people, especially our young people, through an absence of genuine economic policies to provide jobs and investment opportunities. He has brought scandal after scandal on our country and sullied our good name with the illegal Herpes Vaccine Scandal, the unethical Stem Cell Research at our main JNF Hospital, thereby exposing our entire population and our all-important health care workers to serious and unreasonable health risks, and declaring falsely that the government was not aware.
“He has also been threatening to build a high school on our most precious resource – the aquifer at Ponds Estate in East Basseterre - exposing it to serious fecal contamination. And all this is happening when he is claiming to be the lead spokesperson on health matters in the CARICOM Quasi Cabinet,” Dr. Douglas said.
He also claimed that PM Harris “has destroyed the economy of St. Kitts and Nevis with accompanying hardship on the lives of all of our people and, more particularly, those who work in the Tourism sector and the manufacturing enclaves with declining exports to external markets”.
In his criticisms of PM Harris, the Labour Party leader said: “He has taken our country in the wrong direction and continues to do so. People are not better off but worse off under a Team Unity Government led by Timothy Harris, although they promised the people better. St. Kitts and Nevis has not gone forward in advancing democracy, freedom of speech and civil liberties. The country has not gone forward in transparency and accountability. Instead, we have had untold corruption, cronyism and nepotism. We have gone backwards by miles!”
Though denying oath of allegiance to the Commonwealth of Dominica and not being a citizen of that country, Dr. Douglas is yet to admit or deny being the holder of a diplomatic Dominican passport.
