BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PREMIER the Hon. Joseph W. Parry has been criticised by the Hon. Mark Brantley for “hypocritical” statements he made concerning his opponents’ consideration of forming a coalition.
Parry made the statements on Saturday evening (Jan. 5) when he announced the date for the Nevis Elections.
He opined that at a time when Nevis is in need of focussed and strong leadership, there are those who are instead focussed on leading the Federal Government.
Parry lobbied that he is the better candidate to lead Nevis because he has the interest of that island and its people at heart.
In his response to Parry, Brantley, who is the Deputy Leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) and Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in the Federal Parliament, said his statements reeks of hypocrisy.
“Mr. Parry is being hypocritical. First of all, Mr. Parry himself leads a party that joined with the People’s Action Movement in 1980 to form a coalition. He leads a party which in 2010 joins now with Labour to form a coalition. He himself as an individual was in coalition with PAM and was Minister of Tourism at the Federal level from 1993 until 1995. Even while he is criticising others, his colleague and candidate for the Nevis Island Elections, Patrice Nisbett, serves in the Federal Cabinet as Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs and Attorney-General.
“As a matter of fact, Patrice Nisbett is on record as saying even if he were to win in Nevis, he would not give up give up his office of Attorney-General. Mr. Parry also has running with him Hensley Daniel who has repeatedly run and lost in federal elections. So it is absolutely hypocritical of him to criticise anybody else because, unlike him, no member of the Concerned Citizens Movement has ever formed any coalition with any party. But our party has always said that our primary interest is the people of Nevis and our record is there to suggest that. Mr. Parry – on the other hand – has been with PAM, with Labour, who knows where he is going to be next.”
Brantley questioned how Parry could accuse someone of and frown upon giving consideration to forming a coalition when he and person(s) whom he leads have either done so or are currently part of a coalition government.
“In 1993, when Labour got four and PAM got four and both made overtures to CCM, Vance Amory – who continues to lead this party – indicated that he prefers to remain neutral so he can focus on Nevis. Mr. Parry, on the other hand, jumped into the arms of PAM to form a minority government and was rewarded with the Minister of Tourism position.
“So who is he now to talk about others when the very things he is complaining about, he personally is guilty of and those who he is running as a team are guilty of as well?”
