BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris said his Government remains committed to enacting legislation that would see the holder of the Office of the Prime Minister serving a limited number of terms.
Dr. Harris made the reiteration yesterday (Oct. 7) during the first session of the Government’s “Working for You” programme aired on ZIZ and other radio stations.
“We have been looking at legislation to do with term limits. There was one passed in Trinidad and Tobago that is before the Attorney-General. Indeed 92 states have term limits including, interestingly, Cuba, where they have committed themselves to two terms. In Guyana it has worked very well where the President is limited to two terms. I think each term there is about six years. And I personally am looking forward to our delivering on that commitment shortly.”
Dr. Harris said this is part of his Government’s good governance agenda, the sections of which would come to fruition sometime between this and next year.
“The good governance agenda to which we are committed does in fact include passage of Integrity in Public Life. We are committed to that and we will do that. It does include reference to term limits for the holder of the Office of Prime Minister and we are committed to deliver on that. And it does in fact include Freedom of Information.
“We have already taken the first step in that matter by putting a piece of legislation to the Parliament making it available for public scrutiny and input. So we are moving in the right direction and we intend, between now and next year, to be able to move forward in a very organised way, those pieces of legislation that fall under the rubric of the good governance agenda…”
Some have however expressed skepticism because similar promises were made by the immediate past Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas, but it was never done. He served four terms before voted out of office.
Individuals who have spoken to SKNVibes on the issue indicate their hope that Dr. Harris follows through on his promise of term limits rather than having history repeats itself.
