Members and friends of the Peoples Action Movement, those listening via WINNFM and the internet, good afternoon. Today is a very historic day in the Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis. It is also historic for the Caribbean and the Commonwealth as a whole. Why is this so? It is so because as far as our research goes, it is the first time in the history of a government that a Prime Minister has gone beyond the five years mandated by the constitution to govern the country.
Why are we in this position? We are in this position because Dr. L Douglas has been trying to steal the election for some time now. How has he been trying to steal the election?
The Labour party set up a Law called SR and O 18 of 2006 to try to change the boundaries in St.Kitts and Nevis. They tried to change boundaries at the last minute to give them an unfair advantage because they are in possession of their polls from Cadres in Barbados which shows the Labour party has lost considerable support and will lose the next general election.
The court has already decided that the whole basis of the electoral reform process was bad, unconstitutional and illegal void and of no effect, because the whole process was based on a badly enacted SR and O. It therefore means that anything that flowed from that was bad so that the entire system of reform did not happen.
Denzil L Douglas is trying to also steal the election by having persons even now register in places where they have never ever lived in areas where the Labour party considers they would lose. Up to just about three weeks ago my Deputy, Eugene Hamilton, challenged a number of persons and got the thrown off the list by the judge when the Registration officer refused to do so, because all of them are working under the dictatorship of Denzil L Douglas.
They also want to steal the election by the passage of the amendment to the electoral Laws, the so called Lindsay and Shawn Act, to try and prevent both of us from being nominated come nomination day. Let me explain that. Before this Law came into effect, on nomination day all that was required was for an individual running to pay his $100, have some one nominate him fill out the required paperwork and that was that. Now on nomination day the registration officer who is put there by Denzil L Douglas has to determine if I or the Honorable Shawn Richards or anyone else could be nominated. What do you think? It is quite simple for them on the day to decide even if I have a document signed by Hilary Clinton the Secretary of State and Barack Obama, that this is insufficient. Even if I challenge the job would have already been done because there would be insufficient time to do the challenge and be able to be nominated. This is what Denzil L Douglas is trying to do. Steal the election and cling unto power in this country. All this is being done because their latest set of polls done show that the Labour party will lose the next general elections.
But why is Denzil L Douglas doing all these delaying tactics? He is doing this because he wants to cling on to power so that the corrupt practices of his government are not allowed to be disclosed to the people in its entirety. He is buying time to cover his tracts. He does not want the people to elect a new government because then he will have to answer how on earth the West Basseterre Bypass road, contracted to cost $18 million has now gone over the contract price by $16 million and it is still not complete. That is why we say there must be a change in the tendering process so that there is transparency and accountability to ensure that the peoples’ money is not squandered on the falter of corruption.
Denzil L Douglas is trying to delay the election so that a new government does not disclose to the people how on earth the government was able to spend 10% of the national debt some $250 million at La Valley and the country has nothing to show for it but one of the longest fences this country has ever seen.
Denzil L Douglas is trying to delay the elections so that he can cover his tracts with more of the greed that has gone on in government. You know he now has 16 pieces of property since we discovered another piece just the other day, this one now is property acquired from government. He is now not satisfied in buying private property, but he is now buying your lands as well ,just as recently as May, while at the same time you have been applying for years and cant get a piece of the rock. This is the depths that this dictator has stooped to.
But I am not here for those kinds of arguments today. I am here to tell you that Denzil L Douglas's time is up. His time has expired and that he “got to go”. He is like expired goods whose expiration date has come and gone, you should not eat them because they may be poisonous. Denzil L Douglas’s continued time in office is poisonous to this country, the country will die as a result of his continuous toxic rule over the Federation. We are not going to send him over the dump as some of his colleagues want to do to others what we are going to do is to send him packing when he has the courage to call the elections. The ball is in his court, the court has put the ball their after the boundary case. But no mater how long he waits the end result will be the same it will be defeat of the Labour party, the election of a new PAM government and the establishment of a government serious about governance.
We are ready to serve and prepared to govern.
There is nothing barring Denzil L Douglas from calling the elections. I want to be very clear on that. The last action and injunction we have brought has challenged the constitutionality of the Law regarding nomination. It has nothing to do with elections. You cannot believe Denzil L Douglas because he has never been truthful to this nation. It is his arrogance and his attempt to cling on to power that caused this country to be in the constitutional crisis as it is right now.
A Prime Minister's mandate is for five years Denzil L Douglas's mandate expires today. After today he has no moral authority to lead this country. After today he cannot pass any Laws with moral authority because his mandate is at an end. His contract with the people is at an end and he has to renew that contract with the people. That contract can only be renewed by fresh elections. It therefore means that Denzil L Douglas has no basis or authority for trying to change boundaries on the people when his mandate with the people has expired. He loves to talk about mandate from the people, well his mandate has expired.
I want our party to be clear on what will happen from here. Denzil L Douglas can speak from now until the year 3000, that PAM is keeping back the elections. What is clear is that any attempt by Denzil L Douglas to change the electoral boundaries when his mandate with the people has expired will be met by court challenge. Therefore if Denzil L Douglas does not want a long and further protracted election he must call the election on the old boundaries and not seek to change boundaries when his mandate with the people has expired.
All this country wants are elections that are free and fair and free from fear. We cannot get a fair election with boundaries changed at the last minute to prop up a government that the people do not want at this moment. The people are fed up with Denzil L Douglas, his colleagues are fed up with him, the country is fed up with him and they want a fresh new government in place ready to serve and prepared to govern. This is what we offer the Federation, this is what we are committed to bring to the table and what we seek is an opportunity, to make our contribution to the Federation, these beautiful islands in the Caribbean that we love so much and call home.
You have been steadfast in your resolve and commitment to ensure that we get a government that is serious about representation, we appreciate your support over the last several months and we look forward to your continued support. The elections are at hand the time of reckoning is at hand but we ask that you support us for another round of challenges if Denzil L Douglas seeks to change boundaries now. Are you behind us? Are you ready for that fight? Let us fight on as the end of Labour is at hand!
Thank you.
