BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - EUGENE HAMILTON, Deputy Leader the People’s Action Movement (PAM), confirmed that his party would be launching launch its 2010 election manifesto this evening (Jan. 19) in Central Basseterre.
Inquiring minds are invited to Market Street at 8:00 p.m., where the PAM Leader Lindsay Grant will finally unveil the party’s long-awaited campaign manifesto. The move comes three days after the incumbent St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) launched its 2010 “Progress not Promises” manifesto, and just six days before the January 25 general election.
The opposition party is also producing a separate youth manifesto to be presented at the Challengers Court tomorrow evening (Jan. 20), which will be followed by a concert featuring regional music superstar Vybz Kartel.
According to Hamilton, the creation of two distinct documents is not a foreign approach by the PAM.
“In the last election, we produced an economic plan and a manifesto. This year, we’ve separated it into a youth and general manifesto because we want to demonstrate our emphasis on youth development going forward.
“We had numerous meetings with young people and they told us they were not getting the attention they felt they deserved. We have definitely decided to focus on youth issues, which are so important, especially at this time when segments of our youth population are troubled,” he explained.
Despite what some may consider a late release, the PAM Deputy claimed it was usual for manifestos to be circulated after Nomination Day, noting that his party wanted to ensure it had chosen the most appropriate time for the launch.
He stressed that their manifesto was “significantly different” from the SKNLP’s document, which Grant and Deputy Leader Shawn Richards condemned last week as being “abysmal” and “a failure”.
Noting that diligence and conscientiousness had gone into the manifesto’s creation, Hamilton promised that persons would not be disappointed in the final product.
“The fact that we’ve gone so far as to prepare a separate youth manifesto shows the serious nature which guided our manifesto’s preparation. By and large, our manifesto covers the change we’ve championed, and fundamental change that begins from the bottom-up and not the top-down.
“The Labour Party has always looked towards foreign investment as a means of strengthening the economy, but we feel that mobilisation and empowerment of nationals is the most important factor in economic success. Our manifesto reflects a change from the Labour policy and presents our vision for making locals more equal in the economy.”
Hamilton declined to divulge the manifesto’s theme until after the official launch, but said that copies would be distributed tonight and would be available online and at every PAM Constituency Office.
