BASSETERRE St. Kitts - PREMIER of Nevis, Hon. Vance Amory told media representatives yesterday (Apr. 9) that his political party, the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), was at the press conference to represent the people of Nevis and that it would stand behind their interests.
The press conference was held at the Ocean Terrace Inn by the Elected Majority (the Opposition and the two former Cabinet Ministers, Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris and Sam Condor) and People’s Action Movement’s Senator Vincent Byron Jr.
One of the questions put to the members of the CCM was that on Sunday night (Apr. 7), on a platform where a public meeting was held by the Labour Party, one of the members raised the concern that for a party that has always advocated for secession, how could the CCM be speaking about economic unity when, if an opportunity should provide itself, it would prefer to take Nevis into independence.
“We need to recognise that today, April 9, is in fact the second of such action of not participating in the Budget Debate in St. Kitts and Nevis. It has nothing to do with our party's position over the years because we are part of a Federation. And as part of that Federation, we have responsibilities as the people's representatives to divorce things and to participate in any action or protest or any Constitutional arrangement which would serve the interest of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis,” was Amory’s response.
He said, in reference to the statements made at Sunday's meeting, that the person(s) make statements about unity, oneness and the Federal arrangements when it suits them and that their criticisms about the Unity Government have nothing to do with the interests of the people.
“I am a Member of the Federal Parliament representing the Constituency Nevis 10, which has a right in the Parliament. I am a representative of the people. Once you there in that Parliament, it is our duty. It is my duty and my partner's duty to represent and to do those things which will be in the best interest of the people of this country.
“I am not daunted by any criticism which has been laid against my party...against myself. In addition to that, it is important that we remember that in a Parliamentary sitting on January 29, there was in fact a vague threat against sitting Members and the Administration of Nevis by the Member for Number Six who was the instigator of this same comment about our party on Sunday.
“It is for our people, for the press, for all the strata of our society, the various communities, the church, everybody to recognise what is happening is that there is a calculated effort by those who, at one point, advocate unity and people's representation; and in another part want to begin the process of disrupting any people's representation in Parliament or elsewhere.”
The Premier stated that the public needs to understand that the elected representatives are there to do the people's business and that they need to work by the mantra “love of God first, love of country above party", noting that without it people would have to accept political party being put above their interest.
He went on to say that that crisis has to be denounced.
Amory stated that the Federation is dealing with a crisis of good governance and integrity in government and that is what they want the people to see by their action; adding that their non-participation in the Budget Debate was as a result of what is happening in the Federation politically.
“My party's position will remain that the people's business must be first, and that is our paramount interest and our paramount position about that," he concluded.
