PM Douglas says he has accepted the nomination of his Labour Party Branch to continue as National Political Leader

St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas at Wednesday’s Press Conference (Photo by Erasmus Williams)

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, APRIL 25TH 2012 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas disclosed Wednesday that he has accepted the nomination of his St. Christopher 6 Labour Party Branch to continue to served as National Political Leader of the governing St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP).

“Of course, I will run for the leadership of the Party at the upcoming (80th Annual) Conference in May,” said Prime Minister Douglas responding to a question from WINNFM’s Clive Bacchus at his monthly Press Conference.

“My Party goes into Conference on the third Sunday of May. At the moment members of my constituency (St. Christopher 6 Labour Branch) have nominated me again to be the leader of this great Party,” said Dr. Douglas, adding: “In the Conference and unless otherwise I am told, I shall be standing for the leadership of the Party.”

“In standing for the leadership of the Party, of course it is part of the preparation for the next election. As to whether I would be there, it’s only the people of my Party can tell. I await their judgement,” said Prime Minister Douglas, the second longest serving National Political Leader of the 80-year-old St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party.

Elected as the Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher 6 in March 1989, Dr. Douglas was elected in May that same as year as National Political Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party following the retirement from active politics of Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore.

Dr. Douglas rejuvenated the Labour Party and took it a sweeping victory over the governing People’s Action Movement (PAM) of then Prime Minister the Right Hon. Sir Kennedy A. Simmonds in July 1995.

A six-term parliamentarian who has been re-elected unopposed as Labour Party Political Leader at every annual conference since 1989, Prime Minister Douglas has led the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party to victory in four consecutive General Elections – 1995,2000, 2004 and 2010.

Dr. Douglas, who was appointed as one of Her Majesty’s Privy Councilors last year, is the longest serving Head of Government in the Caribbean.