BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – CEDRIC LIBURD, the incumbent St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) candidate for Constituency Eight, has boldly declared that he would win his seat by 500 votes in the January 25 general election.
“When you look across the constituency and see the work I have done, I am confident the people will vote for me. I hope the people will vote for me by 500. I will win by that larger margin,” he predicted.
Eugene Hamilton, Deputy Leader of opposition the People’s Action Movement (PAM), is Liburd’s opponent for the third straight election. In the 2004 polling, Hamilton lost to Liburd by 86 votes, in what was one of the election’s most tightly contested seats.
Liburd, who first won his seat in 1995, convened a press conference on Tuesday (Jan. 19) to highlight the major achievements and successes of his 14-year term. He spoke passionately of improvements he had engineered in public health, education, entrepreneurship and, most significantly, housing.
“Over the nearly 15 years, the constituents and I have worked together to transform these communities and to make positive differences in the lives of our youth and elderly. I don’t think any person has distributed as much land in a five-year period as I did. In my constituency, in St. Peters alone, we have distributed over 500 lots, and 300 in Cayon.
“More than 2 500 families have received lands for residential and business purposes. More than 100 small businesses were created in the constituency. That is why I know I will win again, because the people can see the results of my service.”
Liburd said that, in his view, another 150 houses should be built in Constituency Eight over the next five years. Along with his sustained commitment to housing, the SKNLP candidate has plans to create more industrial parks, award more scholarships and further beautify the constituents’ communities.
“It is time that the vacant lots and other properties were well-manicured, time that the derelict vehicles were removed from the street, and time that would-be vagrants have no place to hide in abandoned buildings,” he announced. “I also want to establish functioning community councils so that persons are empowered and have more say.”
After reflecting on his lengthy term, Liburd noted he was most proud that he had been able to find work and land for former sugar workers in his constituency. He admitted that the closure of the 350-year industry had been a “mammoth task”, but said he was pleased his ministry was able to tackle it “head-on” and close the industry without any major problems.
Liburd stressed that he was looking forward to the election, but remained coy about whether it would be his last, stating that he was still young, and would let the people of Constituency Eight determine if he should continue.
PAM and the SKNLP will vie for the eight parliamentary seats in St. Kitts during Monday’s election. Over on sister isle Nevis, the Concerned Citizens Movement and the Nevis Reformation Party will contest the three federal seats.
