BSSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 16, 2009 (Labour Secretariat) - Over the past several months, the legal drama being played out in the court has caused much frustration to the electorate of this country, who are eager to go to the polls to exercise their franchise in electing the government of their choice for the next five years.
While justice must be respected and upheld at all cost, the will of the people must also be respected and upheld, but never sacrificed on the altar of political expediency.
A recent poll conducted by the Caribbean Development Research Services (CADRES) out of Barbados has shown that 50 percent of the electorate did not wish to see a change of government at this time, while 32 percent expressed a desire to see the government changed in the upcoming elections; 48 percent of persons indicated that they would support the Labour Party, while 29 percent promised to support the People’s Action Movement (PAM); the poll also suggested that the Labour Party would win 7 seats, while PAM would win one.
Be that as it may, realignment of boundaries or no realignment of boundaries before the next general elections will not change the naked truth that the Labour Party will win come Election Day.
That aside, the Christmas season is fast approaching and people look forward to a time of family togetherness and merriment. Christmas is not a time for kill joys; it is a time for caring and sharing.
This Christmas, the Labour Government has demonstrated as it has done for the past 14 years that its hallmark is that of caring and sharing.
At this time of financial instability and uncertainty, when families around the world are squabbling to put food on their tables and businesses are crumbling under the caustic effects of the global economic downturn, the need to share and care is ever more urgent among men and women of goodwill.
Prime Minister Douglas’ announcement of a double salary for public servants, including Government pensioners and workers in public corporations, is welcome to those who know the harsh financial times that have affected all of us and how important the values of sharing and caring are.
The waiving of the fuel surcharge in its entirety and the waiving of duty and taxes on the importation of paint will bring joy to many households this Christmas.
But more important than the double salary and the waiving of the fuel surcharge and duty and tax on paint is a Government that is interested in moving this country forward so that all will have a better quality of life.
One therefore has to applaud the policies, programmes and leadership of the Labour Party that continues to deliver on its mandate to serve the people with “capable hands in serious times”.
As the country continues to progress with the growth of the tourism industry, education will continue to play a pivotal role in the overall development of each and every citizen.
We are happy to hear that the 2010 budget will make provision for the establishment of a programme that will put a laptop computer in the hands of every school child of the appropriate age in the Federation.
It is literally impossible in today’s technological world not to be technologically savvy in order to put “the world at our fingertips” in learning.
While we have grown and continue to grow as a country in those things that are tangible, we are reminded that the intangible things are what civilized societies are respected for. Let peace, joy, togetherness, respect, love, tolerance, justice be those things that we continue to strive for in order that our society may be a better one to live in.
