BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 4th 2011 (CUOPM) – While Caribbean leaders were witnessing the cutting of a cake to celebrate CARICOM DAY, and the end of the 32nd Regular Conference of the Caribbean Heads of Government, Acting Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, Her Excellency Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, announced that July 4th was also a red-letter day for its new Chairman, host and four-term, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Denzil Llewellyn Douglas.
Today July 4th also marks the 16th Anniversary of Dr. Douglas’ appointment as Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
It was on this date in 1995, that Dr. Douglas, as the National Political Leader of the then opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party defeated the incumbent People’s Action Movement (PAM) Government of Dr. the Right Honourable Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds winning 7 seats to 1 on St. Kitts in the July 3rd poll.
Dr. Douglas’ Labour Party received 10,722 votes or 58.3% of the votes to Dr. Simmonds’ 7,530 votes or 41%.
In the 2000 General Election, Prime Minister Douglas led his Labour Party to a resounding victory, winning all 8 seats on St. Kitts with 11,762 votes (64.17 percent) to PAM’s 6,468 (35.29 percent).
Dr. Douglas was re-appointed Prime Minister for a third straight term on October 26th 2004 poll, after his Labour Party defeated the opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM), under a new leader, Mr. Lindsay FitzPatrick Grant.
Dr. Douglas’ Labour Party won 7 of the 8 seats on St. Kitts, receiving 60 percent of the votes to PAM’s 38 percent and the United National Empowerment Party (UNEP). The Labour Party received 11,680 votes; PAM, 7,160 votes and UNEP, 253 votes.
In his unprecedented fourth term election victory, Dr. Douglas was re-appointed Prime Minister on January 26th following the January 25th General Election.
His Labour Party received 12,227 votes or 60 percent, to Lindsay Grant’s People’s Action Movement, 8,393 votes or 40 percent. Independents shared the other 16 votes.
Prime Minister Douglas was congratulated by several Caribbean leaders including the President of Guyana, His Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo; The President of Suriname, His Excellency, Desi Bouterse; the Prime Minister of Dominica, the Hon. Roosevelt; the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Hon. Freundel Stuart; the Foreign Minister, Dr. the Hon. Douglas Slater and CARICOM Acting Secretary General, Her Excellency Ambassador Applewhaite.
Prime Minister Douglas and Ambassador Applewhaite cut both cakes – one in the national colours of the Federation’s flag and the other in the CARICOM flag.
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