PM says working with Opposition can be fruitful
By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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| Prime Minister of St. Kitts-Nevis, Hon. Dr Denzil Douglas |
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts- Speaking on his weekly radio program, ‘Ask the Prime Minister’ yesterday (Nov. 18), Prime Minister Dr. Hon. Denzil Douglas said he believed working closer with the Opposition would yield fruitful results for St. Kitts-Nevis as the nation continues to navigate serious challenges at the local and international levels.
Douglas opined that United States President-Elect Barack Obama’s message of bipartisan cooperation in the face of large challenges may be a good lesson for the Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis to borrow from.
“That is exactly what I believe we need to take from Obama as the principal leader. The question is, how can we really bridge the divide between the parties in St. Kitts and Nevis?” he asked.
Addressing Opposition parties on both islands, Douglas said that they must be willing to lend support for policy and legislative ideas put forth by the ruling parties.
“How can we begin to have a responsible Opposition that does not see its role simply as opposing any and everything, but be able to look at the policies and programs of the government and really attempt to lend its support as to how the government can implement these programs for the good of all of the people?”
Similarly, the PM said government had to give reciprocal consideration to the ideas of the Opposition members. ~~Adz:Right~~
“Likewise, how can the government listen to the Opposition, its constructive views that are out there, the objective views that are coming from their stakeholders and implement the ideas and suggestions so we can have a bipartisan approach?”
Douglas said that “non-political” issues the Federation is currently facing such as crime and the national economy would benefit the most from bipartisan cooperation.
“This is a very good suggestion and it is something I would want to adopt as we move forward,” he said, though no specifics of how his government would bring political pundits together were made clear during the brief exchange.
