Dr. Drew castigates Prime Minister Harris for deliberate lies

The SKNLP caretaker for St. Christopher 8, Dr. Terrance Drew is the latest SKNLP candidate to castigate Prime Minister Harris that his two-year-old Team Unity Government is responsible for projects which were under construction when he took office in February 2015.

Hours after becoming the Federation’s third Prime Minister, Dr. Harris asked for the resignation of ambassadors, directors on statutory boards and corporations, halt ongoing public sector projects and closed the electoral offices in St. Kitts and in Nevis for six months. To date no report has been submitted into the closure despite several public statements that the investilgation is on-going two years after.

During Wednesday’s Issues programme on Freedom 106.5 FM and Kyss 102.5 FM, Dr. Drew accused Prime Minister Harris of continuing his campaign of deception and of failing to exercise political maturity.

He referred to Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Hon. Gaston Browne for inviting the Opposition Leader, Hon. Baldwin Spencer to participate in the opening of the new International Airport, which started under the former UWP administration and completed under his Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) government.

“You cannot trust the words of Dr. Harris. He lies, he deceives and tells a lot of falsehoods each and every time he opens his mouth when it comes to facts, figures and dates and he just cannot be trusted,” said the Cuban-trained physician and U.S.-trained internist, who detailed several of the projects under construction when the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party left office.

“These include the Koi Sales Office at the airport round-a-bout, the Victoria Road Day Care and Pre-School, the headquarters of the Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC), the Mental Health Day Care Centre at Lime Kiln, the final phase of Silver Reef Resort and Residences at Frigate Bay, Kittitian Hill at Belmont, the Imperial Bay Golf & Beach Residences at Half Moon, the Tunnel at Timothy Hill and the road from Frigate Bay to the South East Peninsula and from Frigate Bay to the Kim Collins Round-a-bout, opposite the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB).

“The St. Kitts Castle in Frigate Bay is still under construction, so are the Koi Residences in Half Moon Bay, the Rendezvous Residences at Half Moon Bay, the Golden Rock Commercial Park near the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport and the Park Hyatt St. Kitts on the South East Peninsula,” said Dr. Drew, who noted that the agreement for the construction of the Park Hyatt St. Kitts was signed by then Prime Minister the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas in Dubai with Minister of Tourism, Sen. Hon. Ricky in attendance in 2012 and the ground breaking for construction of the high-end resort taking place on June 3, 2013.

He also listed the Montebello project at Olivees behind of Buckley’s; T-Loft (Raddison) at Pirate’s Nest in Frigate Bay, Helden’s between Sandy Point and Newton Ground; and at Christophe Harbour Marina where the Customs and Immigration offices all of which are also under construction.

“It is important that the public knows the facts and the truth,” said Dr. Drew, who reminded listeners that Prime Minister Harris was not being truthful when he told the Nation that crime was trending down last year compared to 2016, when as Minister of National Security, his own police statistics point to a near 60 percent from 1,048 in 2015 to 1643 in 2016 with a triple digit increase in shootings and double digit increases in murder, break-ins, larceny, indecent assault, rape, unlawful carnal knowledge, non-firearm wounding, arson and drug-related offences..

Dr. Drew also called out Prime Minster Harris for incorrectly telling the country that the state of the economy was good when the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) statistics point to a decline in the economy in 2016, from 3.02 percent to 2.84 percent of GDP.

“The prime minister also promised to enact Integrity in Public Life and Freedom of Information and establishing the Public Accounts Committee within 100 days of taking office. It is now 766 days,” said Dr. Drew.