BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, MAY 17TH 2010 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas says the recent overwhelming re-election victory of his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party to a fourth consecutive term in government “is a clear demonstration of the faith of our people in the ability of Labour to stick to its mandate for social and economic change, and the satisfaction of our people with the outstanding results that we have achieved in the midst of an ocean of economic problems and developmental challenges of global origins and dimensions.”
I am persuaded that the true test of the relevance and appeal of a political party is firstly, its ability to mobilise and motivate its supporters, and secondly to attract young people to its cause, as it executes its campaign for General Elections. On both counts we completely overwhelmed the competition. It was with great pride, I watched the young people of this country rally behind Labour in huge numbers in their thousands, and take positions of leadership in the campaign. I salute the young people for the role they played in the last general election,” said Dr. Douglas, the National Political Leader of the Labour Party at the party’s 78th Annual National Conference on Sunday at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.
Dr. Douglas told hundreds of delegates that he was enthused by the great energy, passion and zeal demonstrated by Labour supporters night after night in a campaign that was prolonged by the series of legal challenges initiated by PAM.
“I have no doubt these lengthy court battles emanated from PAM’s lack of confidence in its ability to face up to Labour in free and fair General Elections that were being held for the first time under a reformed and modernized electoral system, which required the production of personal ID’s by voters and prevented double voting and other similar fraudulent practices associated with the old electoral system brought into being by the PAM Administration in 1984,” said the Prime Minister.
Dr. Douglas said: “Even as they trembled in fear at the prospects of facing the popular and progressive Labour Party, they went about this country telling people that the opposition was going to win the Elections. They also filled the air waves with propaganda of all sorts, aimed at convincing the international community that a victory by PAM was imminent.”
I often wondered which St. Kitts and Nevis they were speaking about, because” the sea of ‘RED’ that pervaded our towns and villages during the campaign and the mammoth labour crowds made it very clear from early in the campaign that PAM with its paltry following, had little or no chance of forming the Government. Hence, I doubt very much that anybody in St. Kitts and Nevis was genuinely surprised that PAM was duly and definitively defeated for the fourth consecutive time,” said the Labour Party leader.
Dr. Douglas noted that since their utter defeat, PAM has been saying that the result of the General Elections was close.
“Comrades and friends, PAM barely mustered 40% of the votes in St. Kitts, compared to Labour’s massive 60%,” said Prime Minister Douglas as he ripped into the months of court action by the PAM to prevent new electoral boundaries from being used in the 2010 elections.
“The electoral boundaries in St. Kitts that were put in place by PAM have been so rigged and gerrymandered that Labour would always have to get close to 60% of the votes in St. Kitts to have any chance of getting more seats than PAM in St. Kitts. That is why the electoral boundaries are their ‘holy grail’. That is why they fought so hard in the courts to prevent the establishment of fair boundaries that would have brought greater equality to the constituencies, as required by our Constitution,” said Prime Minister Douglas, who added:
“That is why the attainment of four consecutive terms in office by Labour is so commendable. It has been achieved despite the inequities, unfairness and bias of the electoral system designed and implemented by PAM in 1984 to prolong and solidify their hold on the reins of power in this country.”
Dr. Douglas said the victory by the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party demonstrates “very convincingly that we do not have to change up the boundaries to defeat PAM.”
“We have defeated them on four consecutive occasions with the same boundaries that they so skilfully put in place in 1984 to keep Labour out of office. It is clear that our people do not trust the leadership of PAM. They do not believe that PAM cares about the interest of the majority of us,” said Dr. Douglas.
He said that many in the business community were truly terrified at the prospects of bringing into office a party that is totally elitist and that could give special privileges and unfair advantages to a single large business that is completely wrapped up in the power structures of that party and may in fact exercise complete control and dominance over the party if it were ever to get into power.
“Nobody truly believes that such a party could act in the best interest of all the people of our country, St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Prime Minister Douglas, who noted that the people know from experience that Labour is the party of the people.
“They understand that we don’t discriminate against any of the people or businesses of this country. They appreciate that Labour works overtime to lift people out of poverty and give them the opportunity to create wealth for themselves – opportunities that they never ever had before,” said Dr. Douglas.
“They look around our Federation and see the children of poor people who, having grasped the helping hand of successive Labour Governments, now distinguishing themselves as lawyers, doctors, contractors, businessmen, accountants, farmers and other professionals. Indeed many of the lavish mansions we see on our hillsides around St. Kitts and Nevis belong to our own people who have taken advantage of the opportunities for education and entrepreneurship provided by your Labour Party, and we are proud of them. We continue to embrace them as an integral part of our party,” said Dr. Douglas.
He emphasised that the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party is not a party of poor people only. “We also embrace and welcome to our fold, every Kittitian and Nevisian who, through hard work and discipline, earn income, make profits, create wealth and contribute to nation-building in a constructive and very positive way. We are a party committed to the creation of a fair and just society in which all people, from all walks of life, are empowered to join the mainstream of social and economic advancement so that they may truly feel a sense of belonging and fraternity in this beloved country of ours,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
