Prime Minister – Dr. Denzil Douglas
Photo By Erasmus Williams
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
January 10, 2010 (CUOPM)
St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas told thousands in St. Paul’s ““ his birthplace and that of First National Hero, the Right Excellent Sir Robert L. Bradshaw ““ on Saturday night, there are only two questions they have to ask themselves in determining the future of the Federation in the January 25th general elections.
Dr. Douglas also suggested that they become aware of the differences between his ruling St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party and the opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM).
“Are you going to vote for continued progress of this country that has been empowering you or you are going to vote against it and vote for PAM,” asked Dr. Douglas, the political leader of the ruling St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party.
The fundamental question in this election is either continued progress under the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Government or promises under a PAM Administration.
He reminded the massive meeting that in several of the constituencies including his own St. Christopher 6, they have nothing to show for 15 years of the former PAM Administration which served from 1980 to 1995.
The other major question is “Are you going to vote for the continued land distribution to the ordinary people of St. Kitts and Nevis or are you going to vote for PAM and give he lands to Lindsay Grant and the planter class, who deprived them of the use and ownership of the land when they were in office?”
Dr. Douglas said that PAM was a party that was formed by those who hated the ordinary working man and woman of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“It was formed to counter the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party and its sister organisation, the St, Kitts-Nevis Trades and Labour Union, which were looking after the interests of the workers,” said Dr. Douglas.
“They (PAM) believed that Robert Bradshaw and Paul Southwell and France and others were doing too much for the ordinary people and so PAM was formed to slow down not only the progress of the people, but the economic and social and political development. PAM is a party that is the enemy of the people and they had you as their enemies,” said Prime Minister Douglas
Dr. Douglas reiterated that his Labour Party believes in empowerment and in helping all the people of the twin-island Federation.
“No matter what is your status, no matter what is your income level, you have the rights to access scholarships and student loans for your sons and daughters to go to any university of your choice and sit besides those students from the well to do, because you have your brain and it does not matter where you came from,” said Dr. Douglas.
The Prime Minister said that the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party is about empowerment of all persons, especially young men and women.
He boasted that since taking office his government has distributed over 7,000 house lots, 3,000 in the last 18 months, mostly to young people under the Land Distribution Initiative.
“Young men and women from all over the country have received land and we did not identify who to give because of political affiliation. Some people say that my Government is too fair, but this is because we have a philosophy that the country of St. Kitts and Nevis belongs to all of us. That is why we are making sure that everybody has the opportunities that this country has to give in all areas,” said Dr. Douglas.
Dr. Douglas said his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party has created and facilitated jobs in all sectors of the economy in the areas of tourism, construction, health, agriculture, manufacturing, financial services and trade.
“Our people have been able to be retrained in several areas following the closure of the sugar industry. They are reaping the benefits of the growing tourism industry with the arrival of over 100,000 cruise passengers in December alone, more than what the former PAM Administration used to bring to our shores in one year. We now have half a million coming by cruise ship alone,” said Prime Minister Douglas.