NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS – The Honourable Mark Brantley, Premier of Nevis and Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition in the National Assembly, at the invitation of Prime Minister the Honourable Dr Terrance Drew, will be attending a critical stakeholder meeting on St. Kitts on Friday, August 23, to address crime and violence in the Federation.
“I am pleased that I have this morning seen an invitation from The Honourable Prime Minister to a symposium that he is convening on Friday, that is tomorrow, and that that symposium is kicking off 90 days when the focus of the government will be on this vexed issue of violence,” Premier Brantley revealed during his monthly press conference on Thursday, August 22.
According to the federal government’s information service SKNIS, the meeting will bring together a broad cross-section of society including community leaders, social clubs, and non-governmental groups. It will serve as a preliminary engagement “aimed at setting the stage for a national consultation and a 90-day campaign focused on citizen security.”
The invitation to participate in the meeting comes after Premier Brantley’s televised address to the nation on Wednesday, August 21, dealing with the issue of the escalating number of gun-related homicides on the islands.
In his address the Premier called for an all-of-society approach to tackling the problem, emphasising that government should solicit the input of opposition parties in coming up with a solution.
“My address to you this evening comes not from a place of blame or political grandstanding. It comes from a place of deep pain and a burning desire to raise my voice in the rescue effort for my country. At this time and in this situation our country demands that every patriot rise to defend it from this scourge that has now gripped us. All must be invited to the table with their ideas and solutions. None must be left out. Government and Opposition, church and Chamber, schools and civil society…ALL must be invited to the table to come up with a comprehensive plan to address violence in our society once and for all.
“Our Prime Minister and his Cabinet cannot and will not solve this problem alone. St. Kitts and Nevis now needs every able-bodied man and woman to man the ramparts and defeat this enemy that threatens to engulf us all…The Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of National Security must extend his hand across the political aisle and seek consensus and active assistance from the Opposition.”
The Honourable Brantley put forth several ideas for consideration by the Prime Minister, who has responsibility for National Security in St. Kitts and Nevis.
These include immediately inviting regional and international assistance; introducing a top-to-bottom review of the security forces to weed out bad elements; targeting known criminals and their associates and ensuring that they have no respite and no place to hide; suspending all leave and vacation for security forces; deploying greater physical and electronic surveillance tools so that the crime-fighting response is led by more technology and intelligence gathering; reintroducing an improved and redesigned version of the Peace programme; and amending the anti-gang legislation to allow Police to detain suspected gang members and their affiliates for up to seven days without charge while investigations are ongoing.