Prime Minister’s Emancipation Day Address

Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 5, 2019 (ZIZ News): Prime Minister Dr. The Hon Timothy Harris has called on everyone to remember the struggles and accomplishments of our ancestors as we commemorate emancipation day on Monday August 5.

In a statement issued on Monday the Prime Minister said “since August 1st, 1834, the journey towards true emancipation has been elusive and hard-fought, but well worth the sweat and struggle.”

Giving a brief recount of the advances persons of African descent have made over the years the Prime Minister spoke of the Buckley’s Uprising and how it “gave rise to autonomous leadership that sprung from the ambitions, hopes and dreams of the ordinary estate workers.”

The Prime Minister went on to list efforts by the current administration geared towards improving the way of life for residents and citizens.

Among them were the reduction in the price of land and amendments to the Drugs Bill.

Speaking of future plans the Prime Minister said “we are committed to decriminalizing marijuana and in the near future expunging criminal records for related offences of a certain degree while ensuring that the health and welfare of our nation’s children are protected.”

He concluded by saying “there is no better time to acknowledge our painful history, take stock of where we are and make amends for past mistakes.  We owe it to ourselves, to the memory of our forebears and to our future generations.”