Published 18 March 2019
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
PM Harris: Team Unity Administration puts people first and has been listening to them
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, March 17, 2019 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — The Peoples Labour Party (PLP), like all the entities in the Team Unity Moment, puts people first. Prime Minister and National Political Leader of the PLP, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, has said that his Team Unity Administration has been listening to the wishes of the people and has responded to the benefit of all.
Speaking at a mammoth Public Session of the third annual National Convention of the Peoples Labour Party on Saturday evening March 16 at the Patsy Allers Playground in West Basseterre, Prime Minister Harris commented that the Team Unity Administration has accomplished so much in the four years it has been in office that it cannot be criticised on performance.
“We are gathered this evening in the Public Session of our Convention and we do so in keeping with Article 5 of our Constitution which mandates that every March we should be in convention,” said Dr Harris. “We are here too out of love for our democratic way of life – people at the heart of the democracy which we promised. Their views, their needs, their wants, their aspirations and expectations are what prompt us into action. Yes, like all the entities in the Team Unity Movement, the Peoples Labour Party puts people first.”
The public session, which was chaired by Mr Warren Thompson, National Chairman of the Peoples Labour Party, had fraternal greetings coming from PLP’s sister parties in Team Unity Administration brought by the Hon Eugene Hamilton for the People’s Action Movement (PAM), and from the Hon Eric Evelyn for the Nevis-based Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM). Other fraternal greetings came from Mr Alva Pemberton, New York-based Diaspora Affairs and Programme Officer; and Dr George Walker of the New Democratic Party (NDP) of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Prime Minister Harris told the supercharged audience which had drawn attendees from all walks of life that his Team Unity Administration had heard the people when they made the call, coming out of Nevis in particular, for a greater bond and a greater relationship between Nevis and St. Kitts. He noted that Minister Eric Evelyn of the Nevis Island Administration had attested to that when he brought fraternal greetings on behalf of the CCM party leader, and Premier of Nevis, the Hon Mark Brantley.
“We heard when you said that consideration ought to be given to freeing up the herb and we have responded with a consultative process and we have acted in good faith on the recommendations of the Marijuana Commission,” said Prime Minister Harris. “We will start of course with the decriminalisation of marijuana for medicinal purposes.”
On the issue of the regional airline LIAT, Prime Minister Harris said that his Team Unity Administration has heard the people say to them (administration) to go slow on the airline and study the issue carefully, and that is exactly what is being done. He advised that the Team Unity Administration has established an appropriate technical committee to advise it on the way forward with respect to LIAT.
“Yes, we are listening to you,” stated Dr Harris. “Every day, every night we in the leadership are listening to you the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
The Peoples Labour Party, the National Political Leader told the audience, had come to the National Convention to celebrate its success as a party in mobilisation and organisation of people for national good. The party had come together too, to acknowledge with satisfaction that the Team Unity Government of which they are a part has performed exceptionally well, thanks to the people.
According to the Honourable Prime Minister, the country’s economy has experienced growth over the past four years, and St. Kitts and Nevis is today an above average performing economy. The country’s good governance successes have been acknowledged by independent observers, as St. Kitts and Nevis ranks number one (1) on the Rule of Law in the OECS and number two (2) in CARICOM.
“So no matter what they say, those who are looking for something to criticise, they can’t criticise us on performance,” noted Prime Minister Harris. “They can’t say that we haven’t delivered on housing – no they can’t. They can’t say we haven’t delivered on land distribution. They can’t criticise us for neglecting the police force because under our watch the largest budgetary allocation was made for law and order under a Team Unity Administration.”
ENDS
Pix captions:
1: National Political Leader of the Peoples Labour Party and Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris addressing the Public Session of the PLP’s 2019 National Convention.
2: A cross-section of persons who attended the Public Session of the PLP’s 2019 National Convention. Many more listened from outside.
