Basseterre, St. Kitts - On Tuesday, Prime Minister Denzil Douglas falsely claimed that he has "taken particular care to comply with all lawful requests of the court." After the court ordered an injunction that prohibited Government from enacting unfair boundary changes designed to stack the deck in favour of Labour, Denzil Douglas went to Parliament and passed the measure.
 
Douglas' Attorney General, the dual UK and Kittitian citizen Dennis Merchant, was later found guilty of contempt of court for wrongly advising the Prime Minister to go ahead with passage when it was clearly not lawful to do so. Instead of dismissing or punishing the disgraced Attorney General, Douglas continues to pay Merchant a handsome sum and he continues to keep him by his side.
 
Today, PAM Leader Lindsay Grant took the Prime Minister to task for his lack of respect for our courts, our Constitution and our democracy.
 
"Denzil Douglas' Government has no respect for our courts," said Grant. "If Douglas' Government did respect the courts, they would not have openly violated a court ordered injunction. And, if Denzil Douglas had respect for our courts, he would have long since punished or dismissed an Attorney General who was convicted of contempt of court."
 
Grant continued, "We're in the midst of a crime and murder crisis in the Federation. What kind of message does it send to our kids when Denzil Douglas continues to employ an Attorney General that the courts found guilty of a serious crime? Despite our repeated calls for Mr. Merchant to go, Denzil Douglas continues to keep the disgraced Attorney General at his side."
 
Grant concluded, "A High Court judge said that the Prime Minister was a "stranger to the truth" after he lied and claimed that the court had adjourned so that he could debate the unfair boundaries report. The Prime Minister has not respected the court. The people of St. Kitts & Nevis deserve a government that respects our democracy, our Constitution, our courts and the rule of law. We need change."