BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FOLLOWING Prime Minister Douglas’ accusation of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) bringing a legal team [including two politicians] from outside the Federation to attack its government and people in the current legal battle, Lindsay Grant said that the Labour Party was the first to seek legal advice from and representation by Caribbean lawyers not autonomous to St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Dr. Douglas seems to believe that only the Labour Party has the right to bring in a non-Kittitian attorney. Even before we sought external legal advice, they were the first to fly in Mr. Anthony Astaphan S.C. from Dominica. Following this, Mr. Hal Gollop Q.C. from Barbados was then retained as part of the Government’s legal team,” Grant, Leader of the PAM, said yesterday (July 30) in a press release.
The release also indicated that Dr. Dr. Douglas had engaged the services of three lawyers who are notable leading politicians in the Caribbean.
“Today, Prime Minister Douglas said that he also obtained legal services from other Caribbean lawyers such as Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; David Thompson Prime Minster of Barbados; and Dr. Kenny Anthony, Leader of the Opposition in St. Lucia. So here we see that the Prime Minister has already brought 5 Caribbean lawyers to St. Kitts and Nevis, in addition to the local lawyers already paid from the public purse,” Grant said.
Grant stated that it is curious that Dr. Douglas did not see his actions as an attempt to destabilise the Federation. “In fact, the involvement of the Prime Minister of Barbados and the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines provide the clearest examples of such an attack on St. Kitts & Nevis,” he asserted.
The PAM’s Leader emphasised that the rule of law must be upheld.
“The Prime Minister cannot be allowed to divert attention from the Government’s attempt to change the electoral boundaries on the eve of General Elections. This case is therefore a defence of our Constitution and the democracy of St. Kitts and Nevis,” he postulated.
Grant also professed that the PM disrespected the process of law and order, and it is “an attempt to divert attention from the real issue - the Government’s attempt to change the electoral boundaries on the eve of General Elections, without following established procedures”.
On Wednesday (July 29), in a statement made on the steps of the Lee Llewellyn Moore Judicial and Legal Complex, Dr. Douglas sent a message of caution to the two Caribbean lawyers, who are members of opposition political parties, that they must not allowed themselves to be used by the PAM to “destabilise St. Kitts and Nevis.”
“This is a political trial brought by PAM against my Government and the people, to delay the general elections because they are not ready as neither Lindsay Grant nor the Hon Shawn Richards can provide a Certificate of Renunciation of their United States Citizenship as required by law. They are using the Court to launch a political attack.
“They cannot do it themselves. It is interesting to note that their attack is not led by even a single lawyer of the Federation. They hide behind others from outside. They have brought into the country, among others, two politicians to lead the attack against the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and its people, Ms. Mia Mottley, Leader of the Opposition in Barbados and Mrs. Kamala Persad-Bissessar, Deputy Political Leader of the Opposition of Trinidad and Tobago.
“I wish for these politicians from outside to be advised that they should not allow themselves unwittingly to be used by the PAM to destabilise the country of St. Kitts and Nevis,” Dr. Douglas said.
