BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE hearing for injunctive and declaratory relief being sought by six Members of the Federal Parliament to have the Motion of No Confidence heard expeditiously is scheduled for hearing tomorrow at the Basseterre High Court of Justice at 2:00 p.m.
On December 11, 2012, a Motion of No Confidence was filed by the Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition against the government led by Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas.
And since then, it has agitated for the expeditious tabling of the Motion before the Federal Parliament, but it is yet to be debated.
After waiting in excess of 110 days for the Motion to be brought before the Parliament, the Opposition Members – along with the Government back benchers - filed papers with the Court yesterday (Apr. 3) for an injunction prohibiting those responsible for the government’s legislative agenda and for the tabling of the motion from tabling any other bill in Parliament – barring the Budget – until the motion is debated.
Specifically, the claimants – Opposition Leader the Hon. Mark Brantley, Hon. Shawn Richards, the Hon. Eugene Hamilton, the Hon. Vance Amory and Government Benchers the hon. Dr. Timothy S. Harris and Sam T. Condor – are asking the Court to order that the Motion of No Confidence be tabled before April 9 (Budget Day) or shortly thereafter before any other item on the legislative agenda is introduced.
The package of documents filed included a Certificate of Urgency and Affidavits for the claimants.
The injunction is being sought against the Speaker of the House, the Hon. Curtis Martin, Prime Minister Douglas, Deputy Prime Minister the Hon. Earl Asim Martin and Ministers of Government the Hons. Patrice Nisbett, Marcella Liburd, Glen Phillip, Richard Skerritt, Nigel Carty and Jason Hamilton and the office of the Attorney-General.
Speaking with this publication, claimant Eugene Hamilton explained that the aim is not to prevent the tabling of the Budget but rather to expedite the process of tabling the No Confidence Motion which has been lingering for the past three-plus months.
The claimants are asking the Court to make a number of declarations, which include that their right to bring or move a Motion of No Confidence is being violated by not being scheduled for debate by the St. Kitts-Nevis National Assembly. And that the Motion of No Confidence be debated as a matter of urgency.
