BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN continuance of his campaign to get Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas out of office, former Minister of National Security Dwyer Astaphan held a public meeting at Greenlands Park on Thursday night (Feb. 3) and urged the nation be wary of untrustworthy politicians.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, which attracted a large turnout of residents from all walks of life, Astaphan said that he, Richard Caines, Washington Archibald and Kasim Queeley were not on the platform to seek political office, but to speak about the country that he claims is in dire straits.
“We are here because our country is in trouble and we are on this threshold to speak with you about it. We need to assure you that nobody up here is seeking office, nobody up here is seeking position; all we are seeking is the light and what is right.”
He also said none of them intends to be the saviour of the Federation and that any country which is seeking a saviour is looking for trouble, because only Jesus Christ could be called Saviour and the people have to save themselves.
“The people got to save themselves and they cannot rely on any politician to be your saviour, because it would be your downfall. We can only save ourselves if we are independent. You are not independent if you have to beg a politician for a piece of land in your own country; you are not independent and you cannot save yourself if you have to beg a politician for a house, or for a contract, or a duty free car, or for a break from paying the $3000 000 lights bill, or a break from not paying the million dollars in rent. If the politician handed you a million dollars break today, tomorrow he will tax the rest of us.
“We do not want any situation…because we cannot be independent if we are looking to politicians for protection from the law when we know we are breaking it. And we cannot be independent if we have politicians who have no respect for the law and no respect for the people. We cannot save ourselves if we live in fear of the consequences of standing up and speaking out. We cannot be independent and we cannot be saved if we are afraid of what the politician can do to us.”
The lawyer, who demitted office on July 31, 2008, has since launched an attack on Dr. Douglas’ character and accused him of using his office for many misgivings, including personal gains.
Astaphan told the gathering, which seemed eager for information, that they must live without fear and let the politicians be fearful of them.
“We must live without fear; however, if there is any fear at all, it is the politicians who must fear us and not we must fear them. We must stop this thing where we ‘fraid Mr. Dis and Dr. Dat’. How they come to get elected? You cannot be save if you are a stool pigeon for a politician. I want to remind you that in 1937, the great Marcus Garvey came to St. Kitts and went down Lower Market Street at a place called the MIS Hall.
“He told the people of this country not to become a nation of jellyfish…a nation without backbone. You cannot be saved if you don’t have any backbone, you cannot be independent if you don’t have any backbone. And you must show backbone to yourself in the mirror, to your family, to your community and to the leaders and to those who want to lead you, because if you don’t have any backbone they will treat you like jellyfish. They will not respect you.”
He however cautioned those who were present at Greenlands Park, those who listened to the live broadcast on Winn FM and others who viewed it on Miy Vue.com that to develop a backbone they do not have to be hostile neither raise their voices in anger nor lift their hands in violence.
“In order to have a backbone you do not need to riot, you don’t need to burn down nothing…all you have to do is stand up and say, ‘We had enough and we wont have anymore.’ And that is what this meeting is all about tonight. We have had enough and we will have no more. The people want their country,” he added.
Using the Americans system of good governance, Astaphan said in a democracy it is not the president who runs things but the people.
“The American Constitution says a republic of the people, a republic for the people and a republic by the people, not by Mr. Obama but by three hundred million Americans. And we must have a democracy in St. Kitts and Nevis by the forty-five thousand of us, not by eleven people in the Parliament; because eleven people can’t be more powerful than forty-five thousand. And when eleven controls forty-five thousand that is the tail wagging the dog instead of the dog wagging the tail.”
He further cautioned that when people of the Federation stand up and show backbone it must not be done in anger.
“If somebody curses you, love them. Beat them with love because people are suffering. Labour people feeling it PAM people feeling it and everybody feeling it. When you are feeding people’s children chicken back and neck in the School Meal Programme something is wrong somewhere; when you can’t find paper in government’s institution something is wrong; when the police come out in the field to do their work, something wrong; when Dr. Douglas tells you to tighten your belt and you must pay the tax because things going to be rough, but he just buy a car for $280 000, something is wrong.
"Something is wrong and we will get it right. We are going to turn this country into a democracy. And what is more important, is the people, not the parties. If you are a PAM, have a Labour; if you are a Labour, have a PAM; and if you have an extra loaf of bread carry it to Labour; because the only way we are going to get through this is if we help each other. Dr. Douglas is no help to us. He knows who he wants to help and he knows who he is helping.”
Astaphan declared that while he was a minister in the Labour Party Administration, he was serving under a leader who believes he is the second coming of Christ and that is why St. Kitts and Nevis has fallen down.
He ended his opening remarks by saying, “Beware of false gods and false prophets.”
