Leader of the Opposition Nevis Reformation Party Robelto Hector is challenging claims that his party has been using the office the NIA provided to NRP parliamentarian Joseph Parry for official purposes for its party campaign activities.
Premier Mark Brantley leveled the allegation earlier this week, claiming NRP members had been hosting party activities there such as a children’s party and meetings with supporters. He charged that the NIA had out of courtesy provided the office for Mr. Parry to use for meetings with dignitaries and the like as de facto leader of the Opposition, and was paying approximately $6000 in rent each month for the space. The Premier said using the office for political activities was an abuse of taxpayers’ money.
Speaking with Freedom FM, Mr. Hector vehemently denied the allegation, explaining that the NRP’s campaign headquarters is located in the same building as the office for the Opposition Leader, and that is where the party has been hosting its activities. He dismissed the Premier’s claim as nonsense.
“I need to clear the air on the nonsense that the Honorable Premier is peddling seeking to suggest that the NRP is using the office for the Opposition Leader as a campaign headquarters. The facts are prior to the 2017 election the NRP opened its secretariat in the building. That is the office which we campaign from, that’s the office of our secretariat. Mr. parry as Leader of the Opposition in July of 2018 also rented space in the same building. This is something that is well known and for the Premier at this stage to be spreading that we are using public funds for campaigning or a campaign headquarters is nonsense.
“The building can host about five offices. We occupy three of the offices and Mr. Parry occupies two offices. To come at this late stage of the game to make the suggestion is only a distraction as usual. Our Premier had a bad week; he opened a building that is not functional just to give an impression that something is happening; he’s just minoring in the majors. So to come at this time and make this utterance is just displaying his arrogance and the verbal diarrhea he normally spews before Nevisians.”