BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - TOMORROW (Dec. 10) will be a historic day in the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis, as it marks one year since the Motion of No Confidence was filed by Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition of the Federal Parliament against the government led by Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas.
Filed on December 11, 2012, the Motion is still very much alive and yet not debated and unresolved, owing to the Speaker of the National Assembly’s explained decisions not to have it placed on the Order Paper.
The Opposition Members – who then totalled five (four elected, one selected) – expressed their discontentment with the government and its leader and what they claimed is the mismanagement of the affairs of the country. Two government Ministers, Sam Condor and Dr. Timothy Harris, severed ties with the government and joined with the Opposition bolstering its number to six elected as opposed to the government’s five.
Prime Minister Douglas was heavily criticised locally and regionally for, as some explained, having a hand in preventing the Motion from being tabled. Dr. Douglas, during a political meeting, had even suggested that the Motion would not be debated until Dr. Harris and Condor resign their Parliamentary seats.
An Opposition-initiated court saga ensued and, according to the Speaker, the matter was sub judice and therefore could not be debated.
The Opposition’s attempt to subsequently have the case removed from the hands of the Court did not do much in its bid to have the Motion tabled before the House. And, as a matter of fact, it led to the Speaker advising that he wanted the matter to continue in the Court because he wanted certain declarations to be made, which include that the Court has no jurisdiction over the affairs of the Parliament, the highest Court of the land.
Additionally, Prime Minister Douglas said that although the Constitution makes provision for a Motion of No Confidence to be filed in the government, it does not prescribe a timeline by which it should be tabled and debated.
Citing that it would not be supportive of what they describe as “an illegitimate government”, the Opposition launched a protest and refused to attend Parliament sessions until and unless the MoNC is tabled and debated.
And now, one year after the MoNC’s filing, it is apparent that - with the Speaker of the National Assembly sticking to his guns that the MoNC will not be heard as long as it is before the Court and with the Court case developing – the New Year would be rung in with the MoNC still dangling in the wind.
