PM Douglas says Federal Government wants closer bond with Nevis

Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Hon. Denzil Douglas

NEVIS February 16, 2010 — Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis Hon. Denzil Douglas his appointment of a Nevisian to the office of Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs and Justice was a sincere demonstration that the Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis wanted a closer bond with the people of Nevis.

The Prime Minister who was elected to his unprecedented 4th term in office, made the disclosure in an interview with the Department of Information, moments after Nevisian Hon. Patrice Nisbett was sworn into office on February 07 in Basseterre.

“This election in particular has given me the opportunity to demonstrate to the people of Nevis, more than to the people of St. Kitts that the St. Kitts Nevis Federal Government wants to work more closely with the people of Nevis. We want the people of Nevis to appreciate and to understand, that the Federal Government is also the government for the people of Nevis…

“I want to give the people of Nevis one assurance, that all I am seeking to do is to see how we can better live with each other. The world has changed dramatically around us more and more people are now recognizing that we could not be better off if we are fragmented, we must be better off if we are united,” he said.

Mr. Douglas was of the firm view that the people of both St. Kitts and Nevis were becoming more and more politically mature and if the attempt had been made to appoint a Nevisian Attorney general 15 years ago, the move would not have been accepted due to a very deep suspicion that existed among the politicians then.

The Prime Minister also noted that he wanted to give to the people of Nevis, through the Nevis island Administration, increased autonomy as much as the Constitution provided for.

Both the Cabinet of the Nevis island Administration and the Federal Government had been in talking to each other and according to Mr. Douglas they had already identified a number of administrative areas that would give greater autonomy to the people of Nevis.

“I do not want to hold on to any power that can be shared or that can be transferred to the people of Nevis. I believe this is the way that we would be better able to live with each other if as much opportunities are given to the people of Nevis to look after their own affairs.

“I think this is the opportunity that is now being provided with the Attorney General of the Federal Government coming out of Nevis and a relationship struck not under any pressure of wanting an extra seat to form a government but the opportunity presenting itself when I think it is the right time in our history and political development,” he said.

With regard to the matter of Constitutional Reform, Mr. Douglas said it was an issue he intended to pursue without fail and wherever it was possible for the Federal Government to enhance Constitutional Reform or to enhance the benefits for the people of Nevis through constitutional reform, they would want to do it.

“In fact when I was putting the different portfolios together in the different ministries, I was tempted to name the Ministry that Patrice [Nisbett] is now holding, not only the office of the Attorney General and Justice and Legal Affairs but also the Ministry of Constitutional Reform.

“That is going to be one of the subject matters that I shall have transferred from my own cluster of portfolios to the Office of the Attorney General so that it will give him greater scope to lead on the matters of constitutional reform,” he said.