BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – VERBAL punches continue to be thrown at the members of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition for boycotting the recently-concluded Budged Address and Debate held in the Federal Parliament.
The jabs were thrown by Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, mover of the Appropriation 2012 Bill, 2011 during his closing statement.
The Opposition Members, five in total, made a collective decision to forego attending and making presentations at the Budget Debate, citing that all efforts made by them to have an Integrity in Public Life Bill tabled in Parliament have been thwarted by the government.
According to Dr. Douglas however, the Opposition Members have a responsibility vested in them by the people and for them to simply neglect and shirk these responsibilities is simply negligent.
“In fact, it is very very strange that we have taken our responsibilities very, very seriously on this side of the House, but there are others who have been sent here by people from different constituencies who basically are not taking their responsibilities seriously, who don’t really care about the people who send them here to serve their interests and you’ve heard…earlier yesterday by, I’m sure, every single presenter that the time for people to really show their representation of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis who elected them, it is during the Budget Debate.
He verbally chastised the lot, describing their absence from the Debate as “distasteful and unfortunate”.
“It spells of arrogance; arrogance of a young man who has come out of Constituency Nevis Nine…who believes that unless he can get his own way, there’s going to be no conversation with anybody. Arrogance! Arrogant and bombastic! Because he believes he has taken over not only the leadership of CCM but now of PAM. He thinks he can come and grandstand, and so he believes that to show that he does not need the money that he is getting from the citizens of this country…to come in here and look after their interest. He thinks that because, as he said, it is the measly amount of money that they paying him…if he can live from that…We know he is a millionaire. But at least if the people of Nevis Nine elected him to come here to serve, then he should be here!
With obvious repugnance over the Opposition’s actions, the Prime Minister recounted that in 1993 while he on the Opposition Benches, the Opposition boycotted Parliament because “we believed the government was illegitimate and I went all over the world and said that government is illegitimate because they stole the government from the people in 1993”.
When the time for the Budget Debate had arrived, however, he attended and used the opportunity to express the Opposition’s views on the then newly-elected government.
“I went because it is the most important time that we can speak to the people on their illegitimacy and so I went and I spoke…The budget is the only time when people can speak on any issue especially when you are talking about integrity in public life…they have been given the opportunity.”
By their actions, the Prime Minister opined, the Opposition is insistent on not engaging in dialogue with the government.
“…I want to make it absolutely clear that the Opposition is bent on having no conversation with this government…they want to have no kind of respect shown as well to this government. Because the reason that they are giving for not being here is that they brought to somebody’s attention some months ago, notice to have an Integrity in Public Life Bill brought to this Parliament.
“The Attorney-General made it absolutely clear yesterday, there are procedures to be followed and everybody knows that. And let me tell you Mr. Speaker, don’t take no blame for anybody! Don’t take no blame from anybody for that! They know exactly what they are supposed to do! They have at least two lawyers and one of them is a quarter lawyer from Number Eight, think he is a quarter lawyer; tamarind tree lawyer they call them…they know exactly what to do.”
