Priest praises Government on policy of good governance, calls for mechanism to investigate complaints from the public
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| Isiah Phillip of the St. Peter's Anglican Church (Photo by Erasmus Williams) |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, NOVEMBER 1, 2007 (CUOPM) – A senior church official has commended St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas for involving residents of the twin-island Federation in the decision-making process and for a mechanism to investigate public complaints against government departments.
Delivering the invocation at the recent National Consultation on the Economy, Rector of the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Fr. Isaiah Phillip issued a challenge to local businesses and professional organisations to follow the lead of government and for the investigation of complaints by the general public.
Rev. Phillip commended Prime Minister Douglas, his Cabinet colleagues and Labour Party Administration “for fleshing out the national challenge of Paul’s assertion to the Christians at Corinth.”
“Paul helped them to struggle through what it meant to be responsible members of the Church and you, Sir, through your own approach to governance have been carrying forward the challenge for all sectors of society to recognise that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis belongs to all her citizens and residents,” said Rev. Phillip to the St. Kitts and Nevis leader.
He also told the 300 participants that Dr. Douglas’ annual consultation on the economy, the “Face to Face,” the regular meet the people sessions, the monthly press conferences and post cabinet statements, “represents a whole inclusive approach to governance.”~~Adz:Right~~
“It is concrete testimony of your genuine search for ways to concretise your administration’s deepest conviction that we the people of St. Kitts and Nevis comprise the Nation and have a vital role to play in its development,” said Rev. Phillip,, who was also a Teaching Fellow at the University of Exeter.
In issuing a challenge for the process that the Prime Minister and his Administration “have been institutionalising to be expanded across the, Nation, the St. Kitts-born Anglican Priest, who has served in Dominica, Antigua and Birmingham, England, noted that as St. Kitts and Nevis looks towards full operation of the Caribbean Single Market and Ecomony, (CSME), encouraged “our businesses and professional organisations (lawyers and doctors association, builders and building services professionals) in the Federation to follow the lead of government and develop systems to constantly and systematically get the public involved and get our ideas for the improvement of the quality of services that you offer to us.”
The Anglican priest used the opportunity to appeal to Prime Minister Douglas to enhance the democratic process by not only having the various stake holders share in the important processes of government, such as economic policy development and implementation as well as legislation improvement, but take the process even further.
Rev. Phillip called for the creation and strengthening of the framework for the intentional and co-ordinated investigation of complaints from the general populace about issues of political bias and other forms of discrimination that they perceive they have encountered in dealing with government departments.
“I am convinced that our people have the training, will and integrity to deal with such issues and now is the time to get the process started for your Labour Administration, Mr. Prime Minister in the words of the slogan of one of our telecom giants – has trained our people to expect more and so you have and corresponding responsibility now to give them more,” Rev. Phillip concluded.
