The Leader of the Opposition in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas wants Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris to call an election to resolve issues of security, stability and credibility.
Dr Douglas said Tuesday that Harris who heads a three-party coalition has lost the trust and confidence of the people and has pushed a once thriving nation into an abyss of instability, high crime, naked corruption, a decelerating economy and high unemployment.
“He (Dr. Harris) says that the Don Anderson poll, which we believe is suspect, indicates that he and Team Unity are very popular, but we know that it is the opposite. On the other hand, there has been a poll done by a well-established and well-known leading pollster in the Caribbean, Bill Johnson, who has said that Dr. Harris is very, very unpopular and Team Unity is very unpopular and the trust and the confidence of the people have been lost,” Dr. Douglas told listeners to his weekly radio call-in programme “Ask the Leader” on Kyss 102.5 FM.
“They cite in that particular (Bill Johnson) poll, the issues which have caused the unpopularity of Harris and his Government. The lack of credibility, the open corruption (and) the high levels of crime. The economy has taken a serious nosedive. People cannot find work, yet Harris is saying things cannot be better in the country today. Of course things are better for some, but what about the majority of the people?. What about the children and babies who go to bed at nights without a meal?” said Dr. Douglas, the former prime minister, who also listed the deteriorating healthcare system and the poor condition at the hospitals among other major concerns.
Referring to Harris’ recent statement that he will win the next general election and capture more seats, Dr. Douglas, the Political Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) challenged Dr. Harris to call a general election now.
“Let us see what is happening. Do like Prime Minister (Theresa) May in England. Call the elections now and let us resolve the issues of credibility, stability and security in our country.”
In the 2015 General Election the Labour Party lost two St. Kitts seats it held – St. Christopher 1 by 4 votes and St. Christopher 4 by 26 votes.
The SKNLP remains the largest single party in St. Kitts and Nevis, gaining 11,897 votes to the Hon. Shawn Richards’ Peoples Action Movement (PAM), 8,452 votes; Hon. Vance Amory’s Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) 3,951 votes; Hon. Joseph Parry’s (Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), 3,276 votes and Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris’ People’s Labour Party (PLP), 2,723 votes.
Seatwise in the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, the PAM holds 4 seats, the SKNLP, 3 seats, the CCM, two seats; the NRP and the PLP, 1 seat each.
Harris’ three-party coalition is made up of the PLP, CCM and PAM.