St. Kitts – Nevis PM – Dr. Denzil Douglas
Photo By Erasmus Williams
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
January 18, 2010 (CUOPM)
With the slogan “Progress, Not Promises” St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said the 2010 manifesto for the January 25th general elections, promotes the Labour Government’s proud record between 1995 and present.
“In moving forward, we are not starting from scratch. We have a proud record of progress on which to build. We initiated a programme of change in 1995 that has revolutionized the economy of St. Kitts and Nevis and has pushed our small twin island Federation to the forefront of social and economic development in the Caribbean,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
Prime Minister Douglas told the rally to launch the 55-page document that his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government will continue on a path of progressive change.”
“Good progressive change, not change for the sake of change; constructive progressive change, not destructive change; progressive change that you can embrace as a people; change that has taken so many of our people from a condition of poverty and landlessness to a position of strength through empowerment, education and wealth creation; progressive change that over the next five years will complete the transformation our of economy into a full-fledged competitive service economy that will bring even more wealth and opportunity to our people,” said Dr. Douglas.
He said that the manifesto outlines the progress of St. Kitts and Nevis and the Party’s intention to build on the achievements over the last 14 years and accelerate the pace of development.
“We know the international environment is very turbulent so we will proceed cautiously. Everything we do in the next five years, will be based a detailed and comprehensive analysis that ensures that we do not sacrifice our many achievements as we strive to grasp new opportunities,” Dr. Douglas said.
“We do not have to look far to see the many risks that countries face in this environment. In one country, it is only when public servants get their pay checks that they realize the amount is reduced because the Government did not have the money to pay the full wage bill. In other countries, Government workers are being paid many weeks after payday, while the bank and other creditors pile on the pressure on these workers to get them to pay their mortgages and other loans,” said the Prime Minister.
He noted that at the same time in some of these same countries, the private enterprises have laid off workers by the thousands, and the financial sector have stood shakily on a precipice as financial institutions struggle to get the liquidity required to honour their obligations to their depositors.
Dr. Douglas said that it has not happened in St. Kitts because “we have planned well and we have been extra careful.”
“The double salary we paid in December shocked many onlookers but it was based on very careful analysis and projections that definitively demonstrated the strength and capacity of our economy,” he said.
He told the massive crowd that it has what has become clear in this crisis is that, with a few exceptions, the countries that changed leadership in the midst of the crisis are the ones encountering the most difficulties.
“In this crisis, there is no room for indecisiveness and policy mistakes as new leaders try to learn the job. The penalty for such indecision and mistakes is financial and economic collapse accompanied by social mayhem. The people of Dominica fully understand this, and they therefore provided the Labour Administration of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerritt a resounding mandate to lead Dominica through the global turbulence,” said Prime Minister.
He expressed confidence that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis will also deliver a resounding mandate to the Labour Team, “so that we may continue to provide effective leadership in the midst of this stormy global environment.”
Dr. Douglas said the people of St. Kitts and Nevis understand that in difficult times there could be no better hands at the wheel than the caring hands of Labour.
“Each member of the Labour Team understands, and has experienced poverty. A person who admits that he was born with a gold spoon is his mouth could never understand the plight of poor people sufficiently to truly care,” said Dr. Douglas.
Prime Minister Douglas said he will continue the vision for the creation of a modern, vibrant, competitive service-based economy that would give every Kittitian, Nevisian and Resident the opportunity to realize even his most ambitious aspirations.
“We want an economy that would attract over a million visitors to our country each year who would spend heavily in all sectors of our economy and thereby create opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and wealth creation,” said Dr. Douglas.
He pointed out that through the progressive policies of his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government, the Federation is well on the way to the attainment of that goal.