BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A group of more than 20 placard-bearing protestors have converged at the entrance the Royal St. Kitts Hotel demonstrating against the leadership of Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas and calling for the Motion of No Confidence to be tabled or for General Elections to be held immediately.
The protestors appeared to have been led by the Hon. Shawn K. Richards, Leader of St. Kitts’ main opposition party the People’s Action Movement (PAM).
The protest comes just hours before a Prayer Vigil is scheduled to take place.
That event, according to the organisers, should begin at 4:00 p.m. today from Greenlands and should flow into the streets of Basseterre.
Executive members of the PAM have indicated that, although they have been denied permission by the Commissioner of Police to march, they would be taking part in the Prayer Vigil walk.
in Speaking with SKNVibes, Richards highlighted PAM’s reasons for the protest.
“This is a demonstration against the illegitimate and illegal Denzil Douglas administration. We are saying that for far too long the rights of the citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis have been trampled upon and we need a change of government. It is almost seven months now since the Vote of No Confidence Motion has been filed and his illegitimate and illegal administration refuses to have it debated.
“We are saying to him, we want elections now if he is not going to have the Vote of No Confidence debated, because the people of this country are fed up and they can’t take any more.”
Questioned about the reason for selecting that venue and on this particular day, Richards indicated that it is because the Taiwan-St. Kitts and Nevis Trade Show 2013 is being held there today.
“We chose to have it here this morning because there is a trade show which is currently taking place and you have a number of different persons, locals and foreigners, who are here. And we think that they need to get the message that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis have a problem with the illegal and illegitimate administration.”
Richards indicated that although police presence in that area was evident, neither he nor the other protestors had been approached by them.
“The police have absolutely no reason to approach us. We are here protesting peacefully and that is a constitutional right that we have.”
Having begun at approximately 11:00 a.m., Richards told this publication that the protest is scheduled to end sometime after 1:00 p.m.
