PAM seeks new candidate for East Basseterre
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - FORMER Government Minister now Ambassador to the United Nations, Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd is up in arms over the manner in which echelons of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) intend to dump him as the political party’s representative for Constituency One.
Documents show that Liburd is at odds with a decision taken by the PAM to seek new representation for the area following a public notice.
Ambassador Liburd was the party’s Parliamentary Representative for that area, but he had lost that seat to Geoffery Hanley of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party’s at the 2020 General Elections
The PAM is now looking to move forward by replacing him in order to reclaim the seat. In doing so, the PAM has advertised for interested persons to apply as the party’s candidate for what it termed “the vacant position”.
A public notice, placed by the party, stated: “Coming out of the 2020 General Elections, the People's Action Movement was successful in winning four (4) of the five (5) seats contested. We were not successful in winning St. Christopher I, commonly known as East Basseterre, contested on our behalf by Mr. Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd. We again thank Ambassador Liburd for his service to the party and congratulate him on his recent appointment as our Federation's Permanent Representative to the United Nations.”
The party further said, “The People's Action Movement now invites interested persons to apply for the vacant position of Candidate for St. Christopher I, East Basseterre, to contest the next General Elections in the Federation on behalf of the People's Action Movement.”
Those statements are not sitting well with the incumbent as he took to the airwaves and social media to vent his frustration with not being consulted.
Liburd, in a statement, is at odds with the decision as he feels slighted by the party, stating: “I, however, note that in your apparent haste to affix your signature to the said announcement you did not find time to put a date to the document neither to consider the common courtesy of apprising the incumbent People's Action Movement (PAM) candidate for East Basseterre of this development. Such conduct is not only offensive but it is also divisive as well as destructive and will no doubt undermine the support gained by the PAM Party under my leadership within the Constituency of St Christopher 1.”
He took umbrage that the party, in its statement, mentioned his defeat at the 2020 polls.
“There is no need to mention the reason for my defeat in the 2020 elections after that startling revelation at the 55th PAM Annual National Convention in April 2021. For the record nonetheless, the Former Party Leader and 1st Prime Minister of St. Kitts-Nevis contested the seat in St Christopher 1 but lost on 3 consecutive occasions to wit in the 1966, 1971 and 1975 elections. Subsequently, it took the gallant effort of Deputy Leader and lst Deputy Prime Minister (the Hon. Michael Powell) to win the seat for PAM - 3 elections in a row namely 1980,1984 and 1989.”
Liburd clarified to his constituents that he held no discussions with the National Executive “nor was there even the pretense of a conversation with the Chairman about my exiting the political arena. How could I exit at a time when so many constituents are suffering and instead of providing relief the party focuses on contesting General Elections”?
