Leader of Opposition, NDP PRO attend swearing in ceremony in St Kitts/Nevis

The newly elected Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Timothy Harris has expressed his eternal gratitude for the New Democratic Party (NDP) of St Vincent and the Grenadines and its youth arm, the Young Democrats, for their support “in the struggle for democracy.”

Leader of the Opposition and President{{more}} of the NDP Arnhim Eustace and senator and PRO of the NDP Vynnette Frederick travelled to St Kitts and Nevis on Saturday, to attend the swearing in ceremony of Team Unity’s Members of Parliament, which took place in St Kitts at Warner Park, on Sunday.

In his address, Harris thanked Eustace for his support over the years, particularly when he and other members of his party travelled to St Vincent and the Grenadines and held a protest on the road leading to the Buccament Bay Resort, where a CARICOM Heads meeting was being held in 2014.

The protest was centred around the failure of former prime minister Denzell Douglas to table and debate a No Confidence motion filed against them by Harris and members of Team Unity.

“We thank him and welcome him to St Kitts and Nevis. You will recall in our very difficult challenge with democracy, it was the honourable Arnhim Eustace who welcomed us to St Vincent and the Grenadines to ensure that our case will be forced upon the agenda of CARICOM heads,” the St Kitts prime minister said.

On the New Times radio programme yesterday, a recording of Harris was also played, where he once again expressed gratitude to the Opposition of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“My message to the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines and the people of the New Democratic Party and the Young Dems is one of gratitude for their support for we, the people of St Kitts and Nevis, as we had our struggles with the democratic order. We shall be eternally grateful for the heroic efforts of the Young Dems and the NDP in the struggle for democracy and I wish them well and a better life for the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines on a free and fair election,” he said.

Eustace also called into the radio programme yesterday and congratulated the new Kittian government on their appointment.

“The people of St Kitts and Nevis have spoken. They have spoken very clear. They know what they want,” he said.

“I am very happy that I came to the swearing in ceremony for the new government of St Kitts and Nevis and if we were to really follow our rules …and our democratic principles, then we would not have had the problems in St Kitts over the last two years.”

The NDP president said the recent outcome of the St Kitts and Nevis election was an indication that persons in the region expect democratic rights and principles to be upheld in all countries.

“That is why I took the position from the beginning, from the time I got involved in this matter, that I was going to support those who wanted to have democratic principles staying in place and that goal has been achieved. I hope that ourselves, all of us in the Caribbean have understood the message delivered by the people of St Kitts/Nevis on this matter,” Eustace said.(BK)