Boundaries did not have to change to defeat PAM for fourth consecutive time, says PM Douglas

St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas addresses a mammoth crowd shortly after being sworn in as Prime Minister for a fourth consecutive term (photo by Erasmus Williams)

ST. KITTS, MAY 18, 2010 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas says the recent overwhelming re-election victory of his St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party to a fourth consecutive term in government “is a clear demonstration of the faith of our people in the ability of Labour to stick to its mandate for social and economic change, and the satisfaction of our people with the outstanding results that we have achieved in the midst of an ocean of economic problems and developmental challenges of global origins and dimensions.”

I am persuaded that the true test of the relevance and appeal of a political party is firstly, its ability to mobilise and motivate its supporters, and secondly to attract young people to its cause, as it executes its campaign for General Elections. On both counts we completely overwhelmed the competition. It was with great pride, I watched the young people of this country rally behind Labour in huge numbers in their thousands, and take positions of leadership in the campaign. I salute the young people for the role they played in the last general election,” said Dr. Douglas, the National Political Leader of the Labour Party at the party’s 78th Annual National Conference on Sunday at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.

Dr. Douglas told hundreds of delegates that he was enthused by the great energy, passion and zeal demonstrated by Labour supporters night after night in a campaign that was prolonged by the series of legal challenges initiated by PAM.

“I have no doubt these lengthy court battles emanated from PAM’s lack of confidence in its ability to face up to Labour in free and fair General Elections that were being held for the first time under a reformed and modernized electoral system, which required the production of personal ID’s by voters and prevented double voting and other similar fraudulent practices associated with the old electoral system brought into being by the PAM Administration in 1984,” said the Prime Minister.

Dr. Douglas said: “Even as they trembled in fear at the prospects of facing the popular and progressive Labour Party, they went about this country telling people that the opposition was going to win the Elections. They also filled the air waves with propaganda of all sorts, aimed at convincing the international community that a victory by PAM was imminent.”

I often wondered which St. Kitts and Nevis they were speaking about, because” the sea of ‘RED’ that pervaded our towns and villages during the campaign and the mammoth labour crowds made it very clear from early in the campaign that PAM with its paltry following, had little or no chance of forming the Government. Hence, I doubt very much that anybody in St. Kitts and Nevis was genuinely surprised that PAM was duly and definitively defeated for the fourth consecutive time,” said the Labour Party leader.

Dr. Douglas noted that since their utter defeat, PAM has been saying that the result of the General Elections was close.