BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ECHOING sentiments he earlier expressed, Washington ‘Washie’ Archibald says Prime Minister Denzil L. Douglas has failed at yet another of his responsibilities and should resign from his position as leader of the Federation.
Archibald was responding to the most recent murders in the Federation and also to the Prime Minister’s three-point crime fighting plan, which was to have been implemented with immediate effect to address the crime situation that exists in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The three parts of the PM’s plan are (1) the issuance of a $10 000 reward to persons giving information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of persons who committed the recent murders, (2) A monetary reward to person providing information which leads to the “recovery” of firearms and (3) full mobilisation of the Police and Defence Force throughout St. Kitts and Nevis.
Speaking in exclusivity with SKNVibes, Archibald, a social commentator and known supporter of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, spoke specifically to the first two points of the plan describing them as “nonstarters”.
“These are nonstarters because these are ordinary things which should have been happening within the course of crime investigation. This is not something that should happen just now because we had a double murder. This is not an additional provision...these are normal elementary things that you do.
“People commit a crime and you offer a reward. It might, just might help you to find the criminal which is very doubtful because if 12 people stand up and see a man kill another one, you don’t have to give them a reward to tell you who did it if they really want to tell you. But the problem is that the community is so crippled by fear that no matter how much reward you give them, they are not going to give you any information because they are afraid they get killed.”
Archibald explained that under the Prime Minister’s watch the crime situation has spiralled even more out of control and has resulted in the transformation of St. Kitts and Nevis into a fear-stricken society.
“Seven people look at a murder take place and not one of them came forward to give evidence. People are so fearful that even when they see a crime committed they dare not open their mouth. Can you understand how much fear they have in them? If people are fearful, they are unhappy. Our country is not happy. People are afraid if they are walking that a bullet comes out of the bush and knock them down. The place is not secure and we have a Minister of National Security.”
In offering a suggestion of how the crime surge can be dealt with, Archibald proposed “long-term, carefully thought out remedies” noting that “until and unless these are applied we will never solve the problem of crime”. He explained however, that the effects of these remedies would not be immediately felt.
“...There is no short-term remedy that could correct the criminal situation which is going on, because it took years for this crime to build up. This crime has a root deep in our society...My suggestion is that all the boys and girls who drop out of school without having achieved any qualification and if they do not have a job, we must pick them up, provide camping facilities for them, retrain them so that they could get the culture of guns and violence and gangs out of their system. It isn’t overnight; it is something that we will have to be working at for two years before the effects are felt. These youths need continuous training.”
When asked about the recently launched YES (Youth Empowerment through Skills) Programme, Archibald said it would be effective at reaching persons who are interested in finding gainful employment. He however noted “that cannot solve the problem either because that is not aimed at criminal youths. That is aimed at youths who are looking for work. Criminal youths don’t look for work. They are looking quick money; drugs, guns, kidnappings, robbery because they are looking quick money.”
Archibald explained that according to his theory, if the leader of a country would take credit “if everything is good in [that] country”, why then can’t he shoulder the blame when the state of affairs is far less than satisfactory.
“The Prime Minister should resign because he has failed miserably to control the rate of crime in our country. It is his fault. The guns are coming into the country. We don’t make guns here and if there was a proper security system guns wouldn’t be coming in here for people to kill one another with. It has to be his fault. If there is rampant crime in a country, the leader of the country should be the one to take the blame.
“Suppose everything was good in the country, wouldn’t the leader of the country take the credit? So why can’t he take the blame when things go bad. I am suggesting again that he resign. He has failed. People are more unhappy and more insecure!”
The candid political pundit said this is an addition to the Prime Minister’s list of failures.
“He was ineffective as a Minister of Finance. The National Debt has reached to huge proportions. He has failed and, if a man fails, he is supposed to lose his job. Suppose he was working for you and he failed, wouldn’t you turn him away?”
