Response to November 10, 2009 Statement issued by The St. Kitts Evangelical Association, The St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Commerce, and The St. Kitts Christian Council

November 11, 2009

The November 10, 2009 statement issued by the St. Kitts Evangelical Association, the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and the St. Kitts Christian Council on [i] a proposed Code of Conduct, and [ii] constituency boundary changes violates the most basic standards of honesty.  It states in paragraph one that the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party had not signed the Code of Conduct.  What it fails to share with the public is the fact that on Friday, November 7, 2009 the Honorable Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, in his capacity as Leader of the Labour Party, met with the above-mentioned organizations, committed to sign the Code once certain modifications had been made, and that all three organizations unanimously agreed that these modifications should and, indeed, would be made.

The statement also reflects an unhealthy pre-occupation with the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party in that while neither the Concerned Citizens’ Movement nor the Nevis Reformation Party had signed the Code as of November 10, 2009, this was not mentioned in the statement. 

In addition, in the statement, the signatories are attempting to brush aside the role of an elected government in the functioning of an established democracy, the authority of the judicial branch of government in any such democracy, and the sacrosanct nature of our nation’s Constitution.  In October 2009, the Court issued an in-depth, widely-publicized 107 page ruling on the matter of boundary changes that does not advocate the course of action being promoted by the signatory organizations. Also, the Prime Minister would be abrogating his Constitutional responsibilities, were he to follow the signatories’ urgings not to “embark upon another round of proposed boundary changes”. The Prime Minister is constitutionally bound to deliver to parliament the recommendations of the Constituency Boundaries Commission as soon as they become available, and this he shall do.   

In closing, it is not only the political parties which must adhere to a code of conduct where the upcoming elections are concerned.  So should the organizations that have proposed this Code of Conduct.  While everyone respects the right of all persons to support the party of their choice, the political impartiality of the signatory organizations must be beyond reproach.  Whatever his private allegiances, therefore, it is highly inappropriate for the Chamber president to publicly and brazenly demonstrate his unabashed allegiance to the leader to the People’s Action Movement.  Similarly, it reflected poorly on Code proponents who, when pointing out on radio how various political parties have failed to meet the standards of the Code, expresses his concern that a Labour candidate publicly referred to the spouse of a PAM candidate as “an invalid”, while failing to express equal concern that PAM candidates have publicly stated that the Labour Party was responsible for the alleged physical violation of a PAM candidate’s wife.

The nation must question the true motivation for the release of this statement since it appears that high ranking members of the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce, who have deep allegiances to the Peoples Action Movement, may be using the Chamber to advance their own pro-PAM agenda.  How does one explain, for example, the fact that a member of the Peoples Action Movement was able to read from the November 10th statement on November 7th, while on WINN-FM’s “Inside the News”, [two days prior to the issue of the release] while key leaders of the Evangelical Association and the Christian Council remained unaware of the statement’s release as late as November 9, 2009?  Also, the statement predicts that the Prime Minister meeting his Constitutional responsibilities to present the Constituency Boundaries Commission’s recommendations to parliament may “lead to instability.”  The Labour Party demands that the signatories share with the rest of the nation – without delay – the details of the “instability” which they have reason to know will befall the nation, or withdraw this incendiary statement forthwith.

The Labour Party welcomes the recommendations of all citizens and all organizations on all matters.  As far as boundary changes are concerned, however, the duly elected Government of St. Kitts & Nevis intends to adhere to the clear guidance provided in the 107 page ruling issued by the Court, and the clear requirements of the Constitution.  The Labour Government is determined to meet its Constitutional responsibilities – no matter how vehemently the signatories organizations demand that it not do so.