BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - AS the rhetoric and rancour heat up between political parties vying for seats in an impending general election and power in government, colourful adjectives are being used to describe political foes; some of them rather incendiary.
Former Deputy Prime Minister of 18 years in the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Administration, Sam Condor has referred to his former boss, Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas, as a “dangerous and desperate man” who would do anything to hold on to power.
“This country, this country is being governed by a desperate man who is taking us down a dangerous road. Democracy is under threat and we have to stop it. I tell you there is no more important challenge to this country now than ending this rule of terror that is in this country at this time,” said Condor at a Unity Team Rally on Bank Street to culminate an opposition march through the streets of Basseterre on October 11.
“Douglas would have done anything to get into power and he will do anything to stay in power…Douglas is not about logic and rationality or anything like that. Douglas is about expediency and holding on to power…we have to stop him,” Condor added.
The March was organised to draw attention to the non-tabling of a Motion of No Confidence that was filed 10 months ago by the Opposition against the Douglas Administration. Six out of 11 elected Members of Parliament have written to the Governor General stating that they would vote in favour of the Motion.
“I hear them talking about Sam should resign; resign from what? When I went into the office, when I was elected to office, people elected me to serve them and to represent the interests of the country. The land for debt swap was not in the interest of the country and I’m against that and I don’t have to go back to ask anybody about that. The Increase in Senators Bill is against the democratic principles that Bradshaw and Moore and Labour stood for and I’m against that and I don’t have to go back and ask anybody anything about that,” Condor said.
The Land-for-Debt Bill and Increase in Senators Bill have been a bone of contention in the law-making body and have resulted in former Senior Minister Dr. Timothy Harris being fired and the subsequent resignation of former Deputy Prime Minister Sam Condor.
Prime Minister Douglas continues to defend the two contentious pieces of legislation while his two former Senior Ministers continue to be at loggerheads with him, saying that he is undermining democratic principles by increasing senators to rubber-stamp his policies when his Senior elected Ministers disagree with him and that he is also selling out the patrimony of the country in the land-for-debt swap.
The two departed Labour Ministers, Condor and Harris, said that the high public debt could have been alleviated by other options. They have said that Prime Minister Douglas is on the “wrong side of history”, and Douglas has since branded them “traitors” and “hypocrites”.
“When people voted for me, that is what they voted for, to represent the interests of the country and what Douglas is doing is not in the interest of the country. Why I have to ask anybody anything about that? People voted for me because they think that I am going to represent their interest. People voted for me because they believe that I am good and I am the best and I will do the right thing. I ain’t got to ask anybody anything, but he’s saying I should resign,” Condor said.
“He thinks I should resign because I am against the land-for-debt swap and I’m against the Senator’s Bill.”
“I am who I am and what I am because my country made me who I am and what I am. I am proud of who I am and what I am and I have to give back something in return. I want to give back something to my country. I want every boy and girl to be able to fulfil their potential just like I had that opportunity,” Condor added.
