Published 21 February 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
by: Media Source
St. Kitts and Nevis Opposition steps up action to protest Speaker Perkins suppression of their rights in parliament
Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 21, 2018 – Supporters of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) will walk to Wednesday’s sitting of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, Leader of the Opposition the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas announced Tuesday night at a Town Hall meeting.
Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher 3 (West Basseterre), Hon. Konris Maynard told the meeting that he is dissatisfied with the response from Speaker Michael Perkins in protesting the Speaker’s decision to suspend him from the lawmaking body for 10 days.
Perkins has been stifling the voice of opposition parliamentarians in the St. Kits and Nevis National Assembly for the past two and a half years and his actions of repression have become bolder and bolder with the full support of Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris, who has been described as the Caribbean’s newest dictator.
Dr. Douglas told a large audience that although MP Maynard in a letter to the Speaker in which he provided evidence from the Minutes of the National Assembly that he was never suspended previously for five days, Speaker Perkins in his response “has been instructed by government not to allow us to speak on behalf of you the people who sent us to the parliament of our country.”
He said a number of decisions have been made to bring the matter to the attention of the Speaker and the people of our country.
“We have walked out of the Parliament. We held several press conferences after we walked out. We have written several letters to the Speaker. We have filed a Motion of No Confidence in the Speaker. We have asked for meetings with the Speaker and he has met with us and he has told us we are wasting our time, because ‘everything I do I am right. We have written to the Governor General. We have written to institutions at home and overseas to draw to their attention what is happening to us here in our parliament as parliamentarians. He has not heeded our actions,” said former Prime Minister Douglas.
“We have come tonight to say that where that has failed, other things must succeed,” said Dr. Douglas, who indicated the Town Hall meeting is to signal to the citizens of the country “that we have had enough and the time for action is now.”
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“We have had enough of this nonsense where the elected representatives of the people have been prevented from speaking on your behalf in our parliament. We have come tonight to say that as of now, it has to be action,” said Douglas.
“Tomorrow (Wednesday the 21st day of February 2018, they have said to Konris that he cannot go to the Parliament. We are asking you the people to join us at Masses House on Church Street as we walk to the Parliament,” said Dr. Douglas.
Wednesday’s meeting of the National Assembly begins at 12 noon and supporters have been requested to assemble at Masses House to walk to the National Assembly Chambers with their elected representatives.
Photo 1 – Dr. Terrance Drew, Hon. Konris Maynard, Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas; Hon. Marcella Liburd and Mrs. Diana Humphreys-Williams at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Photo 2 and 3 sections of the crowd at the meeting
