Minister Liburd: “Labour Party is still the best option for St. Kitts and Nevis”
Basseterre, St. Kitts (CUOPM) — As the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party celebrates 19 years in government, Minister of Health, Community and Social Development, the Hon. Marcella Liburd says the 82-year old party is the only political organisation with a vision and is “still the best option for St. Kitts and Nevis.”
“We have changed and transitioned to a younger crew and that’s very important because in 19 years, you would expect that a whole generation would have passed. I want to commend our Spring Time candidates – Mr. Konris Maynard, Dr. Vance Gilbert and Dr. Terrance Drew – who have helped to rejuvenate the party. And you would have thought that when the two detractors – Sam Condor and Timothy Harris – left, people felt as though that’s it, but look at what has happened in the Labour Party as the old people say ‘a bad wind never blows,’” Ms. Liburd said on Freedom FM 106.5 FM “Good Morning St. Kitts and Nevis.”
“We now have young, vibrant, visionary, bright, humble young people on the ticket doing an excellent job for the party and you know what, the St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party is the only party with a vision for the country, not patch work. It is a vision which is we want to be, the first small island sustainable state and so we’re moving fast towards that, we’re already on our way so all the policies and programmes would be geared towards that,” said the lone female parliamentarian and cabinet minister.
Citing the leadership role of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister on the loca, regional and international stage, Ms. Liburd disclosed that officials of Grenada’s Ministry of Finance are to visit the Federation “to find out how we did it.”
“You have Antigua asking how we did it. All of the countries around the Caribbean are coming to St. Kitts and Nevis as a leader to find out how did you do it and to learn from us. Isn’t that leadership and masterful leadership at that?
With a youth population where 60% of the people are under the age of 25 or 35, Ms. Liburd said the statistic is reflected in the slate of candidates being offered to the electorate by the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party.
“More than 50% of our candidates are young people. As a matter a fact, if you go back the 19 years, there are only two candidates remaining from that time. Two out of the eight. That is how much we are on top of things in terms of change within the Labour Party,” she said,
“Compare that to those on the other side. They seem stuck, they seem unattractive to young people, but you have a vibrant Labour Party which is in keeping with the dynamics of this country being a young country,” said Minister Liburd, who said the government continues to provide opportunities for young people.