BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE credibility of Deputy Political Leader of the National Integrity Party (NIP) Roy Fleming is now being seriously questioned after his recollection and explanation of a certain event has been declared to be grossly untrue.
Fleming told SKNVibes that following their attendance at a church service on a particular Sunday in 2004, Executives of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) were asked to meet at the Factory Social Centre, and when they got there Dr. Henry ‘Stogumber’ Browne was present.
He explained that at that meeting, he and Glenroy Blanchette – former Constituency Number One representative for the PAM and present Political Leader of the NIP – were asked to concede their seats and allow Dr. Browne and another to contest them.
Fleming further explained that he and Blanchette were not pleased with that suggestion and they rejected it.
Dr. Brown – who was then the Political Leader of the United National Empowerment Party (UNEP) – paints a very different picture to Fleming’s, declaring that his thought process appears to be flawed.
SKNVibes made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Dr. Browne. However in an interview with WINN FM, he stated, “Well I can say, categorically, no such meeting occurred! Mr. Fleming…something is wrong with his thought process. No such meeting occurred. Mr. Fleming is seeking to spread a rumour but this rumour – like all the others he has so far spread – is definitely wicked and untrue. It is not true.”
According to Dr. Browne's account, he was told by his Public Relations Officer Walford Arthurton that then leader of the PAM Lindsay Grant requested an urgent meeting with him to discuss matters of public interest. He said that meeting was held on Church Street in Grant’s law offices.
He said present at the meeting were Grant and then Chairman of the PAM Chesley Hamilton. And the proposition which he said Grant made was to the effect that the votes against the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) should not be split and, as such, Dr. Browne should suspend the party and allow the PAM to contest the election against it.
Although he indicated that the proposition did not sit well with him, Dr. Browne said it "was a wise proposition for him [Grant] to advance and as Leader of his party to contemplate".
Further commenting on the situation, Dr. Browne expressed, “Mr. Fleming’s design for political leadership in this country, apart from the fact that he has lied, he has to start off by saying to the public what private discussions were about in a shadow cabinet setting? How does that comport with good leadership and maturity in the process of thinking that you are trying to lead a country? It is mind boggling but it’s a lie, Mr. Fleming lied!”
SKNVibes had contacted Arthurton who, when asked if any meeting took place at the Factory Social Centre as Fleming implied, responded in the negative.
