BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, December 5, 2022 (MMS-SKN) — St. Christopher Seven is one of the only two constituencies on St. Kitts not held by the governing St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party, but its constituents have been assured that their interests at the government level are honourably being advocated by the constituency’s party caretaker Ambassador His Excellency Leon Natta-Nelson.
The assurance was made on Saturday, December 3 by Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Hon Dr Terrance Drew, at His Excellency Ambassador Leon Natta-Nelson and St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party Branch Number Seven Workers’ Appreciation Dinner 2022, which was held at the Lodge/Ottley’s Community Centre in Ottley’s.
“I want to say to the good people of Constituency Number Seven that His Excellency continues to represent you well,” said Prime Minister Drew. “As you know he comes to the table – as he is at the table – to represent you and he is ever fighting for you. He wants to get you on boards, so he has recommended a number of you and a number of you are on boards.”
According to the Honourable Prime Minister, Ambassador Natta-Nelson continues to represent the constituents of Number Seven to benefit from the programmes of the government, and as the government continues to roll them out he represents them even more.
“I am sure that his presence will make sure that you the people of Constituency Number Seven are well represented and you benefit as well from the programmes of your caring government,” said Dr Drew who had to overcome the effects of jetlag to attend the function just hours after he landed in St. Kitts after a fourteen-hour flight. He had been on official duties to Dubai in the Middle East.
Also at the worker’s appreciation dinner were the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Dr Geoffrey Hanley and Mrs Hanley, Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Rt. Hon Dr Denzil Douglas, Junior Minister for Youth Empowerment and Social Development, Gender Affairs, Aging and Disabilities, Senator the Hon Isalean Phillip, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, Ms Naeemah Hazelle, and St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party Chairperson, Mrs Diana Williams-Humphrey.
His Excellency Leon Natta-Nelson first represented the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party as the candidate for Constituency Number Seven in 2020. According to the Prime Minister, when he joined the team for the 2022 elections he demonstrated exactly the type of candidate that the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party was looking for. Mr Natta-Nelson is a candidate who demonstrated that he was willing to work even when the odds were stacked against him.
“Even when the constituency seemed almost impossible, Leon put himself forward and said that he could do it,” said Dr Drew. “And I think when you look at the results from the last elections against a sitting prime minister, with all the resources that he could have mustered, Leon still made a significant dent in the results. And that kind of result could not have been had, had it not been for you the good people of Constituency Number Seven.”
Mr Leon Natta-Nelson received 903 votes, losing to the then-sitting prime minister by a mere 363 votes. The third candidate, on a PAM ticket, received 176 votes. Prime Minister Drew gave his own example when he made his first attempt at the Constituency Number Eight seat in 2015. He tried again in 2020, but it was in 2022 that he polled the highest number of votes in the election, receiving 2,950, and winning in all the boxes.
“You the good people of Constituency Number Seven saw the quality in Leon and even though you were under constant attacks from all different angles, you stuck with him,” observed the Prime Minister. “You held him up and you are of course as responsible as he is for the excellent results that Constituency Number Seven returned under the difficult circumstances.”
In his closing remarks, the Hon Dr Drew said: “I want to encourage you to continue to work hard. You have a government that is working with you to deliver for the people, and therefore for you the people of this constituency I charge you tonight and give you the order to continue to work hard. Put yourselves out there, work with your government and work with His Excellency, your candidate, Leon Natta-Nelson.”