Published 8 March 2018
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
By:Media Source
600 acres of lands sold to foreigners
despite manifesto and Throne Speech promise
Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 8, 2018 – Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris who accused former prime minister and Cabinet colleague, the Rt. Hon. Denzil L. Douglas of selling government-owned lands to foreigners, recently sold over 600 acres of the 1200 acres placed under the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank (Vesting of Certain Lands) legislation.
The previous St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government has indicated not one inch of land was sold from the 1200 acres placed in the bank’s possession. Proceeds from the Citizenship by Investment Programme via the SIDF were to be used to buy the lands thus they remain in the local hands.
Harris, at the time a member of the Douglas Cabinet, said his falling out with his former colleague, was to prevent the “1200 acres of land from being sold to foreigners in Dubai” and promised to repeal the legislation if Team Unity was voted into government.
Last week, the opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) informed the country that Dr. Harris and his Cabinet ministers have secretly sold to foreigners over 600 acres of land at La Valle and Brighton Estate, despite Harris’ public pledge in the manifesto, the Speech from the Throne, press releases, town hall and public meetings and public marches to “save our lands” and prevent Dr. Douglas from “stealing our hard-earned lands from the people of this country.”
Wednesday opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party officials ripped into Harris’ blatant lies, dishonesty and deception on the electorate of St. Kitts and Nevis on the land issue.
The SKNLP caretaker for St. Christopher 8, Dr. Terrance Drew pointed to an October 11th 2012 statement on WINNFM by Hon. Shawn Richards, Political Leader of the Peoples Action Movement (PAM) and currently the Deputy Prime Minister.
In his statement, Richards said: “My heart is troubled by Dr. Denzil Douglas’ selling of 1,200 acres of our beautiful Kittitian and Nevisian land to his wealthy foreign friends. This is our land. This is our patrimony. This is our birthright. This land should be used to help and uplift our people. It should be used for Kittitians and Nevisians to build the farms, homes and businesses of their dreams. Instead of putting this land in the hands of our people, Denzil Douglas and his failed government are selling off our lands for generations to come.”
Dr. Drew, again pointing out that no lands placed in the National Bank were sold by the Labour Party administration also referred to statements by three groups – SPIRIT – Sandy Pointers Inspiring Real Improvement Throughout); SPAC – Sandy Point Agricultural Cooperative; and CIPEO – Community Improvement and Personal Empowerment Organization – which held town hall meetings to express their total opposition to any sale of those lands placed in the National Bank to reduced the national debt.
He also referred to Dr. Harris,’ Shawn Richards and Mark Brantley’s Team Unity manifesto, which categorically promised not to sell those lands to foreigners.
Pages 16 and 17 of the Team Unity’s “Prosperity for All” manifesto states: The current Douglas Labour Administration has committed countless insults and injuries against the people of St. Kitts and Nevis during its time in office. None of them was worse than the travesty of Labour’s Parliamentary decision in December 2012 to steal our hard-earned lands from the people of this country. The mismanagement of the public purse has resulted in us being unable to service our debt with the St. Kitts-Nevis, Anguilla National Bank. The
Government has decided to use over 1200 acres of our lands in a land-for-debt swap arrangement. This is nothing less than the Repatriation of our National Heritage.
The surrender of over 1200 acres of prime land in the Sandy Point, Cayon, Lamberts and Lodge Estates means that such lands will be out of reach from the common man who dreams of building houses, developing agriculture and other development projects.
The land for debt swap by the Douglas Administration has basically reversed all of the efforts made by our First Premier, the Right Hon. Robert Bradshaw, and our First Prime Minister, Dr the Right Hon. Kennedy Simmonds in taking back our lands from the hands of our former colonial masters and paying for them respectively – so we, the people, can have a heritage and a legacy to call our own.”
Dr. Drew told listeners to Wednesday’s “Issues” programme it is obvious that Dr. Harris “has put his feet in his mouth.”
“It has sold the peoples’ lands at La Valle. Where are the Sandy Point groups that opposed the sale of those lands. I am calling on them to address the issue. Where is the Hon. Shawn K. Richards in all of this,” asked Dr. Drew, who pointedly accused Prime Minister Harris and his Deputy Shawn Richards of “political hypocrisy” for selling the very same lands they vowed during the election campaign not to sell to foreigners.
“They have sold the patrimony of the people,” said Dr. Drew.
Photo 1 – PAM’s Political Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Shawn K. Richards with placard stating; “SAVE OUR LANDS.”
Photo 2 – Dr. Harris trying to shield his face in an effort to run away from a protest march.
