St Kitts and Nevis: Premier of Nevis and Leader of Concerned Citizens Movement Mark Brantley condemned the decision to the suspension of six parliament members. Premier was also among as he lost his position as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris declared the decision during his address to the nation in which he stated that the Parliament of St Kitts and Nevis had dissolved.
While expressing disapproval to PM Harris, he said that now all this was because the elected representative for Number 7, Dr Timothy Harris, was set to become the first ever PM in the history of St Kitts and Nevis to LOSE a Motion of No Confidence. So instead of gracefully exiting the stage, he decided to engage in a further act of political suicide.
Premier expressed his sadness over the decision as he asserted that he had never faced suspension in his entire life. But Brantley exclaimed that he was fired not for lack of performance but for performing the duty.
He noted, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am sad to report that for the first time in my life, I have been fired. I would laugh if this wasn’t so serious. I have not been fired for lack of performance because many locally and regionally have said that my performance as Foreign Minister has been exceptional.”
Premier Brantley stressed that he and his colleagues had been fired because they had decided that they would stand up for principle and for what is right.
He said, “We have been fired because we decided we shall stand up for our country and for a better future for our people. We decided that Team Unity was, is and will always be more than just one man’s greed and insatiable appetite for power and self aggrandizement.”
The leader of CCM emphasized that it must be a matter of great amusement to onlookers that the beloved country with 11 elected members voted for by the people of St Kitts and Nevis is now being led by three elected and two selected (who never have and who never can face an electorate).
Condemning PM Harris, Brantley said, “It must be a travesty that a man who has lost legitimacy as Prime Minister, having lost the support of 73% of the elected members of Parliament, will now purport to fire elected members for whom the people voted overwhelmingly.”
A further statement of Premier of Nevis Mark Brantley:
For my part, I am content that my colleagues and I are standing on the right side of history and that the days of attempted dictatorship in our beloved country are soon at an end.
So brothers and sisters, gird your loins and let us ready ourselves to restore decency and good governance to our beloved St Kitts and Nevis.
When the history of this period is written, it will show that two members of Team Unity strove valiantly for compromise and for peace. 2 members sought meetings. 2 members wrote letters, and two members offered a compromise.
Because we are a majority within Team Unity, many accused us of being weak for our indefatigable pursuit of stability, compromise and peace in our beloved country. Many said we were weak for trying to save Team Unity that we had fought so hard to build.
One member of Team Unity saw things differently. One member chose conflict and chaos, preferring to risk it all in a bid for untrammelled power rather than to compromise, restore and respect the core principles of Unity and put the stability of our country and the welfare of our people first.
History will ultimately judge who was weak and who was strong; who was foolish and who was wise; who sought peace, and who declared war.
It is now up to our people with whom I have absolute confidence.
God bless St Kitts and Nevis, and may He grant us wisdom and discernment in the days that lie ahead.
