BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, APRIL 29TH 2013 (CUOPM) – Describing the opposition’s call for a unity government as a “headless chicken,” Minister of Health, the Hon. Marcella Liburd said the main opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM) only wants unity when it is weak.
Speaking to hundreds at a political rally in Sandy Point, the lone female Cabinet member said the main issue in politics is leadership if one wants to be successful.
“But they say they have a unity construct without a leader, so it is like a headless chicken running around the place; that is just how they are fluttering all over the place. No Head,” said Ms. Liburd, pointing out that the political leader of PAM, Hon. Shawn Richards, is the Sandy Point parliamentary representative.
“I want to tell you something about the Leader of PAM and then you can judge for yourself because normally the party that wins, whoever is the leader becomes the Prime Minister so Shawn is the Leader of PAM, but he has absolutely no national appeal. Nobody believe he is a leader. I don’t even think that people down here believe he is one,” said Ms. Liburd, a former Speaker of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly.
She reiterated that it is clear that the PAM leader has no national appeal because his name is not even being thrown into the ring as a possible leader.
“Since he has taken up the leadership of PAM, (Hon) Shawn Richards has never ever made a policy statement as leader of a political organisation. Is this the kind of person you need as a leader? Even within PAM there is some kind of leadership race between Shawn and Hamilton and they said the race was tied and the chairman at the time was Rusty Liburd and so he had to give his casting vote to determine who will be the leader. Rusty Liburd voted for Shawn Richards to make him the new leader and the understanding was that when he gives Shawn his vote, he will make sure that he (Rusty) becomes the candidate for Central Basseterre,” she said to the crowd.
She pointed out that it was Mr Selwyn “Rusty” Liburd who defeated Jonel Powell for the chairmanship of the PAM party even when they thought it was a straight case.
“They are the real leaders of PAM. Shawn has failed Rusty to give him his vote as the Central Basseterre candidate. The real Leaders of PAM are coming forward and that is why Jonel Powell came and without even a fight, he is already the Deputy Leader and Shawn knows that his days are numbered because the real leaders of PAM are coming forward,” said Ms. Liburd.
She also questioned the .sincerity of the Federal Leader of the Opposition and the Deputy Premier of Nevis, the Hon. Mark Brantley to the issue of unity in light of his statement that Kittitians must not be allowed to participate in the Nevis Culturama competition in the summer.
“Shawn Richards said he supports him. That is the kind of leadership you got. He said he supports that. That is the level of Leadership that you have, he really is no leader and putting him as the Leader of PAM has exposed him because he really is no leader,” she said.