BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JANUARY 10TH 2010 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has called for an immediate stop to the destruction of electioneering material as the twin-island Federation goes to the polls in a January 25th election.
Prime Minister Douglas speaking at a Toast to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force demanded that every member of the society display the type of maturity and self-control that will save St. Kitts and Nevis from the fate of those marred states.
“I wish to address, in the strongest possible terms, a phenomenon that is neither cute, funny nor acceptable, but which some in our society choose to see as the most effective means of expressing their political allegiance,” said Prime Minister Douglas at a Toast to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force.
Dr. Douglas told the lawmen in the Police Recreation at Headquarters that since the church service earlier in the morning, he has been informed of what he described as an “unacceptable behaviour that is taking place as the political campaign unfolds.”
“I refer to the tearing down, or defacing, of the campaign signs of one political party or another. This must stop. I emphasise that elections are around the corner. We know that we all feel very strongly about the parties that our fellowmen and women support in this country. But it is precisely because of the strength of our emotions that we must ensure that we keep our emotions in check. Human nature is such that the defacing or destruction of one party’s signs will most assuredly lead to the retaliatory defacing of the other party’s signs, and this could very easily spin out of control, taking us in directions that none of us, at this time, can predict, but where we all know, we most certainly do not wish to go,” said Dr. Douglas.
He said that his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party has had its signs destroyed. “On Friday, I reported to the Commissioner of Police of incidents which had taken place in Half Way Tree. Just yesterday again, it was necessary to report to the Police in St. Paul’s that the posters that showed me as one of the contestants here in this campaign were destroyed by an individual in St. Paul’s,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
He said too that the Peoples Action Movement has complained that its signs have been destroyed.
Prime Minister Douglas, who is Minister of National Security, noted that gang violence is now a reality throughout the Caribbean.
“And political rage, uncontrolled and vicious, has already marred and distorted some Caribbean societies. I therefore demand that every member of this society – citizen and resident alike - display the type of maturity and self-control that will save St. Kitts and Nevis from the fate of those marred states. I demand restraint because these types of unchecked emotions can have an impact not only during an election, but they twist and distort societies forever. To the police, to the wider society, to the supporters of all political parties I state and I stress – This must stop. And more importantly, anyone found guilty of these actions, I expect that they will be dealt with by the police and with the full force of the law,” Dr. Douglas said.
