BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SOCIAL activist and businessman Carlton DuPont and fellow members of Operation Future staged a silent protest today (Mar. 23) on Church Street in front of Government Headquarters.
DuPont, who stood holding a Bible during the protest, said he was reading from Proverbs 22:8 in protest against the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Denzil Douglas, who he said is unrighteous and does not have the moral authority to run the country anymore.
“I supported Dr. Douglas when he won the elections in 1995 over Dr. Simmonds, but he has lost his way. He is more concerned about himself and all his friends in this house, and the poor man cannot pay his bills. I can pay mine, but the poor man doesn’t have a voice in this country, and I am here to sound the alarm silently,” he said.
He said that Douglas is not thinking about the poor man…only himself and his people around him gaining riches “while the poor man feels the pain of his inadequacies”.
“Dr. Douglas is not a leader. He has failed this country miserably and, as a result of that, I am going to use all my energies to ask Dr. Douglas to come out of office.”
DuPont said he would do anything to get Douglas out of power.
“I’ll do anything I can, except violence. I will pray him out and God will help us in the country to redeem ourselves from Dr. Douglas.”
A number of persons lined Church Street, whether it was in support of the protest or simply curious about it.
DuPont said at the last election the Prime Minister told people that the country was okay but then introduced 17 percent Value Added Tax and an 85 percent increase in electricity.
“He took a raise in pay of 33 percent over two years ago, but the man who works for $300 bills going up on him and he can’t pay the bills…never mind save a dollar.
“Douglas does not have no moral authority to run this country, and so I’m going to do everything in my power to get rid of Dr. Douglas, except violence,” he reiterated.
Operation Rescue members Washington Archibald and Richard Caines were also present at the silent protest.
Archibald said that he believes people have it much harder than they ought to in this country.
“And we believe that if someone else was running the country than Dr. Douglas our burden will be light. We know that Dr. Douglas got himself entrenched in office by fraud and we believe that we have a legitimate right to challenge his leadership and to protest against the things he is doing,” he said.
Archibald claimed that there is a one case in which Douglas allegedly carried at least 60 people into Constituency Four, and his candidate Glen Phillip won by 29 votes over Lindsey Grant of the People’s Action Movement.
“In spite of the swarm of Constituency Four by his supporters from St. Paul’s, Newton Ground and Saddlers, that was definitely a stealing of elections and that one instance is enough to prove to us Dr. Douglas won the elections by fraud,” he said.
Archibald said he believes that the Prime Minister is currently the most unpopular man in St. Kitts and they are trying to re-enforce that with the aid of the public.
“So, we’re standing here in silent protest. No placards, no loud speakers, no noise, because we believe the powers of the heaven will come and they will respect our silence, if not now then sometime in the near future.
“We’re hoping to gain a miracle. To be honest, we’re praying for a miracle. We believe that this miracle will cause Dr. Douglas to be removed from power. We’re challenging his authority and we’re calling on God Almighty to achieve that goal,” Archibald said.
