BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, AUGUST 14TH 2013 (CUOPM) – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas said Tuesday that despite challenges and difficulties, his Federal Government “nevertheless have tried our very best to cooperate and to collaborate” with the new Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) Nevis Island Administration of Premier the Hon. Vance Amory.
“I think it works to some extent by the dictates of our Constitution and also to some extent by the dictates of the personalities who occupy the offices from time to time,” said Prime Minister Douglas in response to a caller on his weekly live radio programme “Ask the Prime Minister.”
Dr. Douglas pointed out that he has been fortunate to work with the Nevis Island Administration on two different leaderships – Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) of the Hon. Joseph Parry and the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) of the Hon. Vance Amory.
“First, it was the leadership of the CCM (Hon. Vance Amory) and then the leadership of the NRP (Joseph Parry) and now it is back to the CCM. I believe that it is true to say that with the leadership of the CCM it has been very tenuous,” said the Prime Minister.
He noted that back in 1996, just after his Labour Party assumed the government, the CCM-led Administration of Hon. Vance Amory in Nevis failed in an attempt to secede from St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Despite that, I think we were able to go through that storm and we were able to have a very practical and fruitful working relationship. Then the NRP (with Hon. Joseph Parry) came in and the relationship with NRP was much improved. I am not saying the relationship with the former CCM was not good, I think it was good, but it was significantly improved when the NRP took office,” said Dr. Douglas.
The Prime Minister admitted that the NRP Administration of Premier Parry adopted a “a more collaborative approach, a more reaching out by the NRP to work closely with the Federal Government and even though traditionally, the NRP would have been a party to rebuff the Bradshaw Administration of Labour in those early years, I think the change in the leadership of NRP, saw the world and saw the relationship through different eyes and so the relationship was much better as a working relationship.”
“This particular relationship with the present CCM it is still very early. The CCM Administration took office in January of this year. I will not want to give any particular description on how the relationship has in fact proceeded because I think it is still very early,” said Dr. Douglas.
He said the Federal Government is committed “to pursue its responsibilities as outlined, especially in our Constitution and also to some extent as far as the personalities involved would allow.”
“So I believe that there is hope, I am still keeping my fingers crossed that the relationship will be improved as we go along,” Prime Minister Douglas told listeners.