BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FOLLOWING the statements made by Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas and Senator Nigel Carty, Deputy Prime Minister Sam Condor claims that there is no official protocol with regards to ministers of government accessing the state-owned ZIZ Radio and Television Stations.
“I am not aware that there is any official protocol in terms of how ministers are to access the radio station. In fact, the way I sought to access the radio station on Sunday, it was the exact same way that I have done for the past 16 years. I find it very strange that I heard from the Prime Minister and Minister Carty that there was some protocol that I violated. In fact, that is the way all ministers had done it in the past,” Minister Condor said.
The debacle has its genesis in the dismantling of the Ministry of National Security, which resulted in Condor’s loss of responsibility for the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force to Dr. Douglas in his new post as Minister of Homeland Security.
In his explanation to what transpired, which was today (Sept. 7) aired on WINN FM, the Deputy Prime Minister said, “You may be aware that the Prime Minister made a broadcast on Wednesday evening concerning the change in the portfolio that was repeated on Thursday morning, repeated again on Thursday evening and then on Friday morning.
“When the prime Minister wrapped up the Debate on Friday, a closing exercise was played Friday evening on the radio. Saturday morning I heard the same thing repeated, winding up the Debate on the Prohibition Bill on Saturday morning, and then it came on again on Saturday evening. And by that time, I thought I need to put my side of the story. So I got about getting a response to let the public hear my side of the story.
“That was Sunday and by the time I was nearing completion of my response, I thought I’ll get in touch with the radio station as I usually do, I have done, like I said over the past 16 years.”
Minister Condor said he decided to call the Acting General Manager of ZIZ, Viere Galloway, to inform him of his intention.
“I told him that I would like to make an address on the radio and television on the same day, and he asked me what time and I told him If I could be accommodated between 7:30 and 8:00 I would be happy. He said he would call me back.
“He called me back almost immediately and he said, ‘Minister, the schedule was in place and so I don’t know if I could get you on the time you asked for, but I will go to the radio station now and look at the schedule and see what adjustment could be made and I will let you know.’
“He did that and he called me from the station and said, ‘You can’t get on that time because I won’t be able to accommodate you. We have some advertisements and programmes going, but I don’t know if you wouldn’t mind doing it at nine.’ I said anytime is fine with me, I just want an opportunity to speak to the issues and speak to the nation. And he said nine o’clock would be fine. I told him that it was fine with me and I asked him whether he can advertise it, and he began advertising it. I heard it myself on the radio that I will be addressing the nation at nine o’clock and that was fine.”
The Deputy Prime Minister indicated that just as he was about to complete writing his address Galloway called and told him that there were some difficulties in allowing him to air his statement.
“He said he had some difficulties because he was told that I should not be allowed to make the address to the nation. I understood him to say that there were two versions. One coming from Minister Carty that I could be allowed to make the address but if there was anything that was not acceptable, then I should be cut.
“And I understood him to be saying to Minister Carty that was not proper because he won’t be able to cut the deputy Prime Minister while making an address and that is not an option he would like to exercise.”
Condor stated that Galloway said Jenkins told him that the address must be pre-recorded and vetted to see if they would air it.
The Deputy Prime Minister said he discussed both options with his people and it was suggested that he should allow them to pre-record the address, and if they did not play exactly what he said another station could be used to air it.
“I didn’t prefer that. I thought that was a wrong way in getting my message to the nation and that was only confusion. And transferring the issues in two versions was not a good thing to do. So I told him I may have to use another station because that was the best he could do,” he said.
Condor reiterated that over his 16 years as a minister, the only time he would have had pre-recorded presentations was when delivering addresses such as examination results.
He also stated that during his sojourn as Minister of Information and also as head of many other ministries, the issue of protocol was never practiced.
However, Dr. Douglas, in response to a caller’s question during Tuesday’s (Sept. 6) programme of ‘As the PM’, said he did not give any directive to block the Deputy Prime Minister’s request to use the state-owned ZIZ to address the nation on Sunday evening (Sept. 4), and that protocol was adhered to.
And Senator Carty stated that rules and regulations must be adhered to regardless of one’s status.
