BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER Sam T. Condor and Senior Minister Dr. Timothy S. Harris have charged that Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has misled the nation in the reason he forwarded for the postponement of the 2013 Budget presentation in Parliament.
The 2013 Budget was to have been presented yesterday (Dec. 11) and, in a national announcement the previous evening, PM Douglas informed that the presentation had been postponed because two Cabinet Members were absent for the two most-recent Cabinet meetings which were used for Pre-Budget discussions.
“The Prime Minister in our view is attempting to blame us wrongly and unfairly. We expect better from the Prime Minister, especially at this time of difficulty and uncertainty. We condemn all efforts to scandalise us and we stand ready to cooperate on any matter important for our democracy and our development. The Prime Minister – in our view – unfairly sought to put the reason for the postponement on the absence of two Members of the Cabinet for Pre-Budget consultations.”
The Ministers – via a statement carried on WINNFM 98.9 and read by Dr. Harris – noted their “disappointment” and “concern” with the Prime Minister’s statement.
They explained that they were both present for the penultimate Cabinet session and were in fact “among the first to arrive”. But close to two hours after the specified starting time, and with the Prime Minister still absent at that point, they had made their exit.
They further explained that the agenda which was circulated for the following meeting spoke nothing of Pre-Budget discussions. And specific to the Monday’s Cabinet meeting, the joint statement informed that Dr. Harris met with the PM that afternoon during which he indicated his unavailability owing to “certain urgent matters”.
“It was therefore difficult to understand why the Prime Minister gave the public the impression that we knowingly avoided such discussions.”
Both Condor and Harris maintain that the absence of Cabinet Members has never hindered the Prime Minister from carrying out agenda, and in attempting to prove that point he made mention of the Senators Increase Bill, which they claim the PM insisted be tabled despite their disagreement with it and the passage of the land-for-debt swap Bill that was passed into law even after both men spoke out against it.
The joint statement indicated that the public could judge whether or not the two Ministers’ presence at Cabinet on Monday (Dec. 10) would have, in any way, affected the proposed 2013 Budget.
The statement even suggested that while Cabinet was in session, copies of the Budget 2013 were already being printed.
“The Prime Minister must not create the false impression that two members are standing in the way of the Budget. The 2013 Budget can be presented any time between now and March 2013. Since the Budget is for 2013, no proposal in it will affect our lives in 2012. Our Prime Minister and Minister of Finance knows that the 2013 Budget can be presented before or not later than 60 days after the beginning of the financial year. There is no impediment to the presentation of the Budget or Appropriation Bill within the legal timeframe and, in particular, between January 1 and March 2013.”
The embattled Ministers expressed their love for the people of the land and indicated that their actions to “stand and fight for justice and, more importantly, that of our people” were fuelled by this love.
“It is our love for country that keeps us going even in these difficult times and even in the face of threats.”
