PM Douglas says he has had no discussions on a successor
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St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas on “Ask the PM” (photo by Erasmus Williams) |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, MAY 10TH 2011 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Denzil L. Douglas said Tuesday he has never discussed with anyone that Minister of Education and Information, Sen. the Hon. Nigel Carty will succeed him as Prime Minister.
“Succession in the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party is determined by the membership of the party,” said Prime Minister Douglas who dismissed the question from a female caller on his weekly radio programme “Ask the Prime Minister”.
The question from the caller is based on written and verbal statements made by former Cabinet minister Mr. Dwyer Astaphan.
“There is no truth whatsoever that I ever sat in any privacy with any former minister or present minister to discuss my succession with regard to Nigel Carty,” said Prime Minister Douglas on his weekly radio programme “Ask the Prime Minister.”
“I have consistently said within the workings of the Labour Party, a Party in terms of what we call constituency caretakers and successors, that Nigel Carty is a fit and proper person to succeed me in my Constituency, St. Christopher 6, which I represent in Parliament,” responded Dr. Douglas.
“At the end of the day, although Nigel Carty, is one of such persons, there are several others of course, but Nigel Carty definitely is one who can succeed me as the Labour Party Representative in Constituency #6 (Newton Ground/Harris) and in the final analysis of course, it will be determined by the members of the Labour Party, who in that Constituency, when the time comes will make that decision,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
“I have never discussed with anybody, Nigel Carty succeeding me as the Prime Minister or even as the Political Leader of the Labour Party. That is false. It is a lie and a deliberate lie, fabricated and perpetuated by those to achieve their own personal agenda,” said Dr. Douglas.
“It is a lie and it has nothing to do with the capacity of the Hon. Sam Condor to succeed me Prime Minister. The Hon. Sam Terrance Condor has in fact been serving as the Deputy Prime Minister and has in fact served as the Acting Prime Minister. He has the capacity,” said Prime Minister Douglas, again stressing that the statement made by Astaphan and repeated by others “is absolute nonsense.”