Labour Party pressure forces early poll call, former PM, Dr Douglas

PERSISTENT PUBLIC PRESSURE from the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) members and supporters forced incumbent Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris to name an early poll date.

So said physician, Dr Denzil Douglas, who led the dual-island CARICOM state uninterrupted with victories at the polls between 1995 to 2015.

Elections in St Kitts and Nevis is slated for August 5^th.

Dr. Douglas in a recent exclusive interview with www.aroundtheregions.com said his party was prepared to go the long haul to ensure PM Harris obeyed the supreme St Kitts and Nevis constitution.

“Our members and supporters made it clear that we will not go a day more after 90 days as the constitution clearly states that election must be held within 90 days and not after. It says 90 days that is why he called elections within weeks of the deadline,” Douglas explained.

He maintained that Harris had no intention calling elections now as it was apparent that he wanted to extend his stay in office for another three months. But party vigilance thwarted the plan last Friday with a massive protest march.

“He (PM Harris) was hoping to wait for another 90 days and then maybe called election then, as he was seeking to see how long he can remain in office. However, the constitution is clear and it is not 90 days then he calls an election, but rather within the 90 days there must be an election,” Douglas said in the recent interview.

“It’s sad that the outgoing Prime Minister even at this stage was seeking to deny the people an opportunity to elect a government of their choice, thus (the attempt at) imposing himself longer upon the people. However, we made it clear that we were prepared to continue remaining on the streets until the election date was announced. So, our members and supporters were steadfast in their decision that if a date wasn’t announced to hold elections within the stipulated timeframe, then we were going to stay on the streets,” he told this media house.

Neither PM Harris nor any of his senior party officials responded to telephone calls and they ignored numerous follow-up messages left by www.aroundtheregions.com journalist.

Douglas and his team are enthusiastic and remain unfazed by the limited time Harris’ announcement has left for them to mount their campaign nation-wide in the 261 Km² dual Island in the Leeward Islands inhabited by some 53,000 nationals.

“People are excited and anxious to cast their votes on August 5, 2022 as they have had enough of Dr. Harris’s failed policies and programmes. They are fed up of his dictatorship, victimisation, discrimination and self-centered way of managing the economy that was doing exceptionally well until he took over.”

“So, our party is confident that come election day a new government will be sworn in,” Dr. Douglas said.