WHEREAS in more recent times, the laws of St. Kitts and Nevis were passed when the majority of elected Parliamentarians gave their approval to such passage, this is no longer so and must be historically recorded as it marks a decided swerve away from the democracy we previously practised.
At a meeting of the National Assembly on Tuesday 29th January, 2013, a law was passed enabling the Prime Minister/Government to double the number of Senators serving in Parliament. This Bill was objected to by six of the eleven elected members of Parliament but its passage was facilitated by a new hastily sworn in Senator (as Attorney General) giving the Bill a 8-7 edge with three of the eight being unelected Senators.
In 1993 when a similar situation arose in St. Kitts and a minority government was constitutionally formed, it raised strong vocal protest from the Opposition (the present government) and gave rise to the infamous bottle and stone protest which they have always declared resulted from the will of the people. The rioters were given a standing ovation at their Party meetings, and continuing ongoing disturbances led to an early election in 1995 after only two years.
The developments this week have far reaching implications which must not be overlooked. It is in no way an isolated win by those who insisted that the Bill should be passed. It now vests power into the hands of the Prime Minister and his hand-picked Senators and dilutes the ability of elected representatives to further the agenda and wishes of their constituents.
In fact, these developments open the door and make it possible for a dictatorship to replace our democracy as we knew it.
For instance, the passage of a Bill to change electoral boundaries or the failure to pass a Bill to introduce Integrity in Public Life or Freedom of Information and any others they think fit, are now well within the scope of this new hand- picked Cabinet/ Assembly.
“Historically speaking, the transition from democracy to dictatorship has appeared in various forms, including military coup, civil war, election tampering and ‘emergency’ situations requiring ‘special’ powers—“ says says James Cooke in his article, “Why Democracies Evolve Into Dictatorships”.
Gene Sharp, in his article From Dictatorship to Democracy warns: “Dictators are not in the business of allowing elections that could remove them from their thrones.”
Now many say that a benevolent dictatorship is what the country needs - someone who is strong and will get things done even if the means by which they are done seem to require strong arm tactics.
But judging from the Prime Minister’s behaviour in the National Assembly both towards the Opposition and towards his own Government members who disagree with him, we can find no such attitude that will serve to uplift the people of the Federation. Indeed the National Assembly has often been described as a national disgrace.
Success in the passage of Bills recently has come not from participation of people but from puppetry being practiced by the Prime Minister.
No longer is the ‘art of persuasion’ the means by which he operates but by the art of manipulating people who can suspend their rationality and consciences.
When the Senators Bill was first introduced, citizens were told that this was justified due to the new complexities of government and to enable a gender balance.
Yet within one week, the Prime Minister has hastily reduced the number of ministers by stripping Senior Minister Harris of his portfolios, created a far more complex ministry for former Attorney General Patrice Nisbett; justified the need for a new senator immediately by stripping the former attorney general of his post, and hastily swearing in a new senator/attorney general (another male) whose only contribution to the debate was to say yes right after he was sworn in.
This is why we must conclude that this is the work of a puppet master and not that of a democratically elected leader. A puppet master defined by Oxford dictionary is “a person, group or country that covertly controls another”.
How we wish that these clever machinations did not result in the enrichment of just a few at the expense of the masses. These persons being manipulated must resolve within their consciences whether their allegiance rests with a crafty Prime Minister or with the upliftment of their fellow citizens.
“The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.” Robert Hutchins
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