THE RIGHT HONOURABLE DR. DENZIL L. DOUGLAS, LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 42nd REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION

Your Excellency, the Governor of St. Kitts and Nevis, Sir Tapley Seaton, QC

Chairman of the Conference

Honourable Speakers

Hon Members of Parliament

Distinguished Clerks

Representatives of the media

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning to all of you. I wish in my capacities as a Parliamentarian of 28 years standing, Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and a citizen of this proud Federation to extend to you a very warm welcome to this 42^nd Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association that brings together parliamentarians from across the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic region to the beautiful shores of St. Kitts and Nevis. Welcome to one and all!

I am particularly pleased to be a participant at this year’s conference for the purposes of meeting and exchanging ideas with my fellow parliamentarians in this Region, highlighting some of the current issues of Parliamentary democracy from the vantage point of my experience, and raising critical concerns in the development of Parliament democracy as practiced in the St. Kitts-Nevis context. In the words of Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Mr. Akbar Khan, “The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association for the past 105 years has been at the forefront in advancing parliamentary democracy across the Commonwealth by enhancing knowledge and understanding of democratic governance, and in turn building an informed parliamentary community….”

To my mind, it is imperative that this conference, the 42^nd Regional Conference held at Basseterre, play a pivotal role in demonstrating the commitment of Speakers of Parliaments and all Parliamentarians of this region in not only protecting but more importantly strengthening and advancing our Parliamentary democracy, rather than undermining it and derogating the conduct our Parliaments to a level that is truly beneath us as a responsible people deeply rooted in democratic traditions. I find it opportune to invoke a second time the words of the CPA Secretary General: “Parliament is the key pillar of any functioning democracy. In fact, it is difficult to imagine what kind of democracy can exist without an effective Parliament that scrutinises governments and ensures transparency while promoting good governance.”

Sadly, parliaments in some parts of this region have retrogressed and morphed into extensions of the executive branch of government and exist merely as tools to protect governments and their strict partisan political agendas, and to shut out, shut up, subjugate and demean their opposition, rather than live out their true democratic purpose. Fellow parliamentarians, ladies and gentlemen, if indeed Parliament is a key pillar of our democratic system of government, we must pay more than lip service in this region to stemming the callous undermining and retrograde disposition of some of our Parliaments. We owe it to ourselves and to this and future generations, because a people who have known democracy will resist any and all attempts to reverse the course of our democratic evolution, by any and all means.

Today, I lead a delegation comprising members of the Opposition from multiple political organisations from both Nevis and St. Kitts that look forward to this conference sending a strong and unequivocal message with regard to our region’s commitment to the ideals of a strong and independent Parliament promoting a vibrant and inclusive democracy. Turning again to the words of our Secretary General Mr. Akbar Khan, “…there can be no democracy where the voices of [all of] our citizens are not heard or amplified through a strong, [inclusive] and independent Parliament.” Lest we err, ‘independent’ in this particularised context means independent of and non-reliant on government.

How can a Parliament, by whatever means, repeatedly deny members of Parliament, present in person, available and inclined to speak, an opportunity to debate essential propositions put forward by the government side? How can a Parliament continue to flout its own rules for short-term convenience while putting into jeopardy the independence, honour and high public regard of the Parliament?

My delegation looks very much forward to engaging in such critical and enlightening discussions as ‘the role of the Speaker’, ‘the role of the Opposition’ and ‘the role of the Parliament in promoting democracy, peace, civility, stability and prosperity.’ As it were, we need to get back to the basics. The state of affairs of our democratic systems of governance requires it.

While it is my expectation that we can and will make veritable progress at this conference on the subject matters I have raised here, as Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in the Parliament of St. Kitts and Nevis, I do intend to explore all avenues to bring light and peaceful resolution to the very troubling state of affairs in our Parliament.

I have made the subject of a letter to the Regional Secretary the particulars of the conduct of the affairs of the Parliament of St. Kitts and Nevis. It is my delegation’s hope that an appropriate forum can be found in which the critical issues can be discussed and resolved. I have chosen this next step as meetings with the Speaker have been used only to reinforce the Speaker’s position that he possesses a right to determine the issues as he pleases.

A motion of no confidence brought by the Leader of the Opposition earlier this year on the account of the conduct of the affairs of the Parliament was refused to be heard. It was instead withdrawn by the Speaker himself using rules that he devised. He sat in his chair, debated the merits of the motion against him – all by himself, subjugated Opposition members as he did so, and ejected them from the Parliament when they objected to his undemocratic posture.

Moreover, after two and half years since the installation of this Parliament, the Public Accounts Committee, a standing committee of our Parliament, with the important function of providing critical oversight of the Public purse, as mandated by law, remains on the backburner. This is beneath us; it is retrogressive, barbaric, untransparent and unbecoming of the very core ideals of our Parliamentary system of democracy.

I am enormously concerned for the stability of our democracy as a consequence of the abject irrationality and callous impartiality on display in our parliament. The Opposition will not endure much longer the constant abuse and subjugation of its members. Having exhausted other means, I have brought this matter to the attention of this conference.

It is my hope that this conference can be used to restore rationality and propriety to the proceedings of our Parliament.

Hon Speakers, Hon. Members, ladies and gentlemen, I look forward to our robust

participation and fruitful deliberations at this conference, and to our constancy of upholding the ideals of the Commonwealth parliamentary system of democracy.