Minister Skerritt accuses The Democrat of “misleading political propaganda”
 

St. Kitts and Nevis Minister of Tourism, Sports and Culture, Sen. the Hon. Richard 'Ricky' Skerritt. (Photo by Erasmus Williams)

Speaking in the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, Minister Skerritt referred to a front page story in the Democrat of Saturday July 19th headlined: “Skerrit jumps ship.”

 “I am not sure exactly what it was meant to portray, but clearly it was an attempt to bring uncertainty and confusion. Mr. Speaker, let me be clear that the office that I currently hold is based on an appointment that was made by the Hon. Prime Minister and I have had no discussion with the Hon. Prime Minister about demitting office and the Hon. Prime Minister by the Constitution,  has the right to either keep me in office or to ask me to leave office.
 
I have had no such discussion with him. If the Democrat newspaper has information in that regard then they should speak to it,” Skerritt told Parliamentarians and the Nation.

Labelling the article as “fraudulent and misleading” which he pointed out is a weekly exercise of the Democrat, Minister Skerrit said he was bothered by the unprofessionalism and yellow journalism of the article.

“The paper said that ‘efforts to reach the minister by press time proved futile’. Mr. Speaker, any genuine media person in this country will tell you that Minister Skerritt is open to the media, that Minister Skerritt speaks on a regular basis to any media person who seeks to reach me.    ~~Adz:Right~~

Every genuine media person in St. Kitts knows that my home telephone number is listed and call my home telephone number at any hour and many of them have sought and received my personal cell number and can call me at anytime. Let me just say that no attempt whatsoever, no attempt whatsoever (was made) bearing in mind that a headline was being prepared by The Democrat Editorial Board with the name Skerritt on it and no attempt whatsoever was made to reach the Skerritt that they were speaking about,” said Sen. Skerritt.

He told parliamentarians he drew the matter to the attention of PAM’s lone Parliamentary Representative for Constituency 5 (Sandy Point/Fig Tree), Hon. Shawn Richards.

“I said to him that it could be only one reason for this… and that is that the paper has not been selling very well and therefore by putting the name Skerritt on it, it could carry up sales. He promised me that he would tell me how sales went that weekend. I am hoping that later today when he speaks – he hardly speaks, in fact he is hardly ever here… but I hope when he speaks later, if he does, he will speak to the sales of the paper of that particular weekend,” said Sen. Skerritt.

“Skerritt has no intention to leave office, according to them…  Skerrit will be demitting office by the end of August. All things being equal and I have just receive a clean bill of health from my doctor….I do not intend to leave office as reported here by this misleading political propaganda,” Minister Skerritt told Parliament.