PM Douglas says his government will defend its record in the upcoming debate on the no confidence motion

St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas at Wednesday’s monthly press conference (Photo by Erasmus Williams)

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, MARCH 7TH 2013 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas says his governing St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Administration, will use the debate on the Motion of No Confidence to “demonstrate how the Government has been able to lead this country through beyond expectations and even doing much better than other countries that have been less challenged than our own.”

Responding to a question from a reporter at his monthly press conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Douglas said his government during the debate will use the opportunity to use the opportunity to impress upon the Parliament and the Nation “what we have achieved, especially in our social development, healthcare, education, community development and tackling the very difficult issue of crime and violence.”

“We would be able to show how were able to overcome some of the most difficult challenges that we faced economically. The debt situation – the St. Kitts and Nevis debt cliff – as some people would have already seen that; how we would have been able to reduce our high unsustainable debt position (200 percent) to where it has now almost become half (130 percent),” said Prime Minister Douglas.

He said his Government will during the upcoming debate respond to those in the Parliament and those who would be listening, give a strong position of defence of its activities.

“We hope they would vote in support, not of the motion, but of the Government’s performance and I would be surprised if that motion is in fact accepted by the Parliament to the point where I would have to make any decision at all,” said Prime Minister Douglas.

“First all it is not my intention to table what I don’t have. Remember that the motion was brought to the Clerk of the House to be presented to the House with the intervention of the Speaker and so it is not for me to table anything at all to the house,” Dr. Douglas said in response to a question.

“But I expect that the motion would come and my Cabinet has already begun to prepare what exactly it would do in defence of its position against the charges in the preamble in the motion itself,” he said.

He pointed out in response to another question that there is no law that says when a Motion of No Confidence will come before the Parliament.

“I think all of the authorities will indicate that a motion of No Confidence is a very serious motion, that has to be brought to the Parliament for debate; there is no question about that and my Government treats it in that way, but in terms of when it will come, I don’t believe that there is any particular qualifying law that states when it must come,” said the St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister.