Senior Minister Douglas Praises Constituency Number Five Labour Party Branch

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS  (MMS-SKN) — Senior Minister, and former Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, The Right Hon Dr Denzil Douglas, has praised Constituency Number Five Labour Party Branch for its organisation which he said if emulated by all other branches the party would be stronger.

“When I became the leader of the party many, many years ago, it was my responsibility and duty to use the structure of the constituency branch here in Sandy Point to showcase that the party would continue to thrive and that the party was eventually going to get into government if all of the branches were as organised and structured as Constituency Number Five,” said the Hon Dr Douglas.

The Senior Minister made the remarks on Sunday evening, December 10, when he addressed the Executive Meeting of the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party Branch Constituency Number 5, which was held at the Unique Touch Christian Centre’s auditorium in Cleverly Hill, Sandy Point.

Held under the theme ‘Developing our Community through Ideas and Embracing the Challenges Together’, the meeting was chaired by Constituency Number Five Branch Chairman, Mr Leroy Benjamin Jr., and also had a presentation from Caretaker for Constituency Number Five, Ambassador His Excellency Kenneth Douglas.

“I want to thank the people of Sandy Point, especially supporters of the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party, for providing strong support not only to the party at the national level, but also to the government on a whole,” said Senior Minister and former Prime Minister, The Right Hon Dr Denzil Douglas.

During the meeting, the Senior Minister, who is also the long serving Area Parliamentary Representative for the neighbouring St. Christopher Six, advised the members to continue doing what they have done in the past, and report back together for Ambassador Kenneth Douglas to be in Government at Cabinet level so that the interest of the people of Sandy Point and matters affecting them are considered at the highest level of the Government.

“What I take from this is that Sandy Point, even though again you are not in the central government, even though you are not represented in the parliament of our country – the national assembly – you must continue however to be organised, to be structured, to work to elect your representative in the upcoming months or years, whenever the elections are called,” the Senior Minister advised.

Branch Executive Members present included, Vice Chair, Ms Ruby Stevens; Treasurer, Mr George Dixon; Public Relations Officer, Mrs Karina Charles; Assistant Secretary, Mrs Joanna Buchanan; Executive Member, Mrs Nerissa Drew-Foster; and Floor Member, Mrs Lousie Buchanan-Pemberton.

“We are in a democratic organisation, the people who are of the branch here will always be engaged in the democratic process that they would have,” reminded Dr Douglas. “So when the time comes, you again will be engaged, you will be involved, you will have the opportunity to make decisions; you will have the opportunity to again elect someone, whether it is Comrade His Excellency Kenneth Douglas, or anyone else.”

He added: “You will be in a position to make sure that you go to the polls and elect a representative to represent you here in Sandy Point in the government or in the parliament of St. Kitts and Nevis.”

As the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs; International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Economic Development and Investment, Senior Minister Douglas outlined the duties of all his ministries and how the ordinary person is benefitting from the work of those ministries.

During his presentation, he updated them on the trip he along with Prime Minister the Hon Dr Terrance Drew and others had made to the Middle East for the Dubai Climate Conference 2023 – COP28.

He recalled that his government had initiated the implementation of solar energy with a solar plant opposite the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, but was left to go to waste by the government that came after his Labour Party-led Government.

“We went to Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, and Saudi Arabia has agreed that it is going to provide us with the ability to not only deliver electricity from solar – from sun – but we are also going to see if we can get our electricity from geothermal,” reported the Senior Minister. “They have agreed that they are going to develop the geothermal capacity that we have in Nevis.”

Members of the audience were given the opportunity to air their views and ask questions and their presentations included minimum wage, problems being faced by small business entrepreneurs, and sports where issues relating to the state of the playing ground in Sandy Point were raised.