Fellow citizens and residents, today is a time when many are getting together with family and friends to celebrate and have a good time. It is also a time when many will reflect on what independence means, how far we have come and the prospects for our future.
Many would vividly remember the 19th day of September, 1983, when St. Kitts and Nevis was born and those brave and patriotic men and women of this country who made that day possible. We remember particularly our first national hero, the Right Excellent Sir Robert Bradshaw, who commenced the process of independence, Sir Kennedy Simmonds, our first Prime Minister and who as Premier finished the independence talks with Great Britain, and the role played by our newest national hero, the Right Excellent Dr. Sir Simeon Daniel, in keeping our two islands together, in unity, as a sovereign nation.
We are called to reflect on the likelihood that the world’s smallest independent nation would succeed after hundreds of years of colonial rule, and the audacity of our first national hero who set about putting in place institutions and infrastructure that would give this future micro-state a chance to survive.
Of course, this nation would not exist if not for that most important achievement in keeping the people of St. Kitts and Nevis united with one purpose, one will and one destiny.
Keeping our people focused on working together for their common good is what led our fore parents to persevere in the face of adversity, disrespect of their humanity and abuse of their rights and dignity.
It is what led them to make our tiny islands the breadbasket of the developed world and it is unity that has always led us, as a people, to be resolute and resilient at those difficult moments and to stand together realizing that only when acting together can we face our challenges, alter our circumstances and raise our fortunes.
That is the spirit of unity that we are called to show once more as we encounter unprecedented challenges to our democracy, our stability and prosperity under an illegitimate regime that shows scant regard and undue disrespect for the highest law of the land, our Constitution. At a time when independence symbolizes the will of a people to be free, to dream big dreams, to aspire to unthinkable heights and to pursue happiness in all its wonder, we are faced with daunting challenges imposed upon us by persons whom we trusted to make things better for our generation and for generations yet to come. And this comes in the context of our people having made a conscious decision thirty years ago to rid ourselves of the shackles of colonialism.
Today, it seems, we have come full circle because whilst we ushered out the old colonial system imposed upon us by people who did not look like us, we have ushered in a new system of colonialism forced upon us by a new dictator who looks just like us. This new system of colonial rule by a self-styled “Caribbean maximum leader” has now become the biggest threat to democracy, peace, stability, security, progress and prosperity in this fledgling independent country.
This new dictatorial approach has only contempt for our motto, “Country Above Self” as we see our limited and scarce resources being mismanaged and in many cases plundered, our land patrimony sold at giveaway prices to friends and foreign interests and our hardworking people abused and dispossessed every day.
And whilst our people struggle to make ends meet at this 30th anniversary of independence, under this new colonial system, moneys generated from the sale of our valuable passport asset are being put into a private (SIDF) bank account controlled by the new colonial ruler, in clear violation of Section 69 of our Constitution.
Whilst our people struggle to realize the benefits of being independent and free, under this new colonial system, we have no idea how much money sits in the private SIDF bank account, and are left only to guess whether it is more or less than billions of dollars being used as a slush fund to prop up the colonialists’ declining popularity. Meanwhile, consumers and businesses are forced to endure the crushing effects a 17% VAT, higher import duties, crippling increases in license fees and electricity charges, declining job opportunities and face the real possibility of debtors prison, as a consequence of an avoidable default on government bond payments and IMF structural adjustment programme.
Whilst the new colonial ruler admits to being “comfortable” travelling first class on long flights to the Middle East and Africa, over 20% of our people cannot find work, earn an income and feed their families with pride and dignity, and 25% live below the poverty line, unable to meet the most basic of life’s requirements.
Meeting the unprecedented challenges imposed under this new colonial system will require an extraordinary effort on the part of every Kittitian and Nevisian and for our very survival as an independent nation and people, it is an effort we cannot afford to defer any longer.
We cannot afford to allow the new colonialists to create a permanent socio-economic-political system where a chosen few and their foreign friends benefit, whilst the masses of people struggle, in a permanent underclass, to make ends meet. That is a 21st century version of the burdens of colonialism that we don’t deserve and don’t want.
That is why the new model of a truly united and free society is when the people have a real and meaningful say in the affairs of their government. I speak of a Unity government that is not afraid to face a motion of no confidence but one that is legitimate and accountable to the people of this country every single minute, of every hour of every new day. A Unity government, of, by and for the people, that will put St. Kitts and Nevis on the true road to independence where we maximise our human and natural resources; rebuild confidence in our country by improving our image around the world; bring integrity to public office and renew the trust between the people and their government; restore our land patrimony so it is once more accessible to our children and grandchildren; promote the use of technology to increase national security, productivity and the competitiveness of our economy. In so doing, we will bring safety, stability and prosperity to our people and pave the way for a bright future filled with social and economic equity.
On this our 30th anniversary of independence, we should not face the future with fear, but instead shape it through hope and optimism, united as one people, different colours yes, but one people under God, “a nation bound together with a common destiny”.
Thank you, and Happy 30th Anniversary of Independence.
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