Local news, News, Politics

Opposition Leader Douglas tells Cabinet members they are collectively responsible for fallout from Chinese scandal

Published 16 May 2017

Opposition Leader Douglas tells Cabinet members they are collectively responsible for fallout from Chinese scandal

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, May 16th 2017 – Leader of the Opposition, the Right Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, warned Tuesday any further negative on the country’s Citizenship by Investment Programme, will affect the nation’s economy, people, image and credibility.

China said St. Kitts and Nevis is becoming a haven for criminals and has accused the Team Unity Government of Prime Minister Harris of refusing to handover Ren Biao a Chinese for allegedly stealing US$100 million from a Chinese state company. Chinese diplomatic sources have also disclosed that in an intercepted communication on April 16, Ren called relatives in Beijing seeking an additional US$190,000 to pay for his protection by Kittitian authorities.

Read More...

Local news, News, Politics

Address to the Nation by Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, Prime Minister and Minister of National Security on May 09, 2017

Published 10 May 2017

My Fellow Citizens and Residents, I address you this evening in my capacity as the Prime Minister of our beloved country.

 

  1. Over the past few days, the public has become aware of news reports that two of our Economic Citizens resident here in the Federation have been alleged to have defrauded State institutions in the Peoples Republic of China of US$100 million.  
  2. There are unfounded allegations that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has been harbouring these individuals who are on the Interpol Wanted List and have not cooperated with the Chinese government.  
  3. There is the further baseless allegation that Government Officials were to be paid US$190,000 for protecting these individuals. 
  4. In my capacity as the Prime Minister of this country I wish to make it clear that I reject in the strongest terms the allegation that my Government is harbouring any fugitives in our country. I categorically deny as well the assertion that my Government is somehow failing to cooperate with a request with any country as mandated by law. I state further that no evidence has been provided to law enforcement or otherwise that any public official has been offered or has received any money for protection in this matter. These assertions are a malicious fabrication calculated to tarnish the hard won reputation of our beloved country. 
  5. Here therefore are the facts:  i. The individuals concerned applied for and obtained St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship in September 2013 during the tenure of the Denzil Douglas regime.

     

    ii. On 26 May, 2014, USNCB Interpol Washington issued what is known as a Red Notice for the two individuals in question. On the face of the Red Notice it is clearly stated that it was circulated to the media including the internet. 

     

Read More...

Local news, News, Politics

Protesters demand PM Harris deals with china fugitive issue

Published 9 May 2017

Protesters demand PM Harris deals with china fugitive issue

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, May 8th 2017 – Protesters demanded Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris deal with the issue of the Chinese fugitive, China says he is getting protection in Basseterre by the local authorities.

Prime Minister Harris walked into the placard bearing protesters when leaving a radio programme hosted by his Ambassador, Michael Oliver Powell, Special Envoy in Harris’ office.

Read More...

Local news, News, Politics

HIS HONOUR MR. EUSTACE JOHN RETIRES AS DEPUTY GOVERNOR-GENERAL

Published 2 May 2017

Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 30, 2017 (SKNIS): His Honour Mr. Eustace John CMG has with effect from 30th April, 2017, demitted office as Deputy Governor-General for Nevis.

 

By letter dated 25th January, 2017, His Honour Mr. John informed His Excellency The Governor-General, Sir Tapley Seaton G.C.M.G, C.V.O, Q.C, J.P of his request to retire from the post.

 

By letter of 31st January, 2017, His Excellency The Governor-General placed on record his appreciation to Mr. John for his service as Deputy Governor-General for Nevis for the past 23 years from 1994 and wished both he and Mrs. John best wishes for a well-deserved retirement and good wishes for the future.

 

His Honour Mr. John had a distinguished record of public service in both St. Kitts and Nevis and has contributed significantly to our national development.

Read More...

News, Politics

Battle Of The Public Opinion Polls

http://www.winnfm.com/news/local/21617-battle-of-the-public-opinion-polls #

Published 18 April 2017

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): With Team Unity just past two years into its first term of office, there is no general election on the horizon at the moment.

However there appears to be a battle of the public opinion polls raging in the federation.

Citing a newly conducted Don Anderson poll, the governing Team Unity coalition says the results show that if an election were to be held now, Prime Minister Timothy Harris and his Government of National Unity would be re-elected to serve for another five-year term.

However the Denzil Douglas-led opposition St Kitts Nevis Labour Party is also making a similar claim, based, it says on a Bill Johnson poll the SKNLP commissioned.

“The conclusion is that if an election were called today, the electorate would vote strongly in support of Douglas and the Labour Party to replace Harris and the Team Unity government” the Labour Party quotes its  commissioned public opinion poll as concluding.

The Don Anderson poll, released earlier than Labour’s Bill Johnson’s poll shows, the coalition says, that Team Unity would expand its constituency count, adding to the seven seats that its candidates won during the February 16th, 2015 general election.

Labour is countering that its Bill Johnson poll gives Party leader Douglas, the country’s opposition leader, a more favourable rating than Prime Minister Timothy Harris.

According to an SKNLP release, Dr Douglas enjoys a 67 per cent favourability rating compared to a 34 per cent rating for Dr Harris.

It says too, on the question of who would do a better job going forward, that “61.4% were convinced that Douglas would do a better job, 23.2% thought that Harris would, and 13.2% were undecided”.

The Don Anderson poll is said to have questioned 506 registered voters in the federation’s eleven constituencies, while 1100 likely voters are reported to have been polled in the Bill Johnson public opinion poll.

Don Anderson of Marketing Research Services Limited in Jamaica is a well known pollster in the region.

Bill Johnson too, is a Jamaica-based veteran pollster.

Read More...