Nevis Seeks Full Autonomy From St. Kitts Not To Participate In Federal Elections

From Erasmus Williams—Press Secretary St. Kitts Government

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (FEBRUARY 18TH 2003) –
Representatives of Nevis’ two political parties, the ruling Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) and opposition Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) have advised of their preference not to participate in future Federal Elections and to expeditiously seek full Autonomy for the People of Nevis.

That’s according to a Communiqué issued at the end of a Joint Meeting between the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly and the Nevis Island Assembly held at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room in Basseterre on Tuesday.
Parliamentarians agreed to identify and engage two independent constitutional experts to advise on avenues which may be realistically available to achieve full Autonomy for Nevis, said the Communiqué.
It said the Parliamentarians further agreed that, whatever process is used, the future relationship between the Peoples and Governments of both Islands should be secured and sustained in a special manner.
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Reform consisting of the Hon. Terrence ‘Sam’ Condor, Chairman; Hon. Dwyer Astaphan, Hon. Delano F. Bart, Hon. Marcella Liburd, Hon. Malcolm Guishard and Hon. Patrice Nisbett shall engage in the process of consulting with Social Partners inclusive of Political Parties on both Islands.
“Every effort will be made to advise and inform the Peoples of both Islands, of the Region and the International Community on the need to move the process forward in achieving a new Constitutional relationship between the Islands of St. Kitts and Nevis,” said the Communiqué.
In remarks at the opening session of the meeting, St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas pointed to a number of “unsettling questions” in the relationship between the peoples and governments of the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Dr. Douglas noted that even before he became Prime Minister and Mr. Amory, the Premier, there were flaws in the 1983 Independence Constitution.
“There is a Nevis Island Administration but there is no similar provision that is made in the Constitution for St. Kitts to have a separate Administration. In fact, the Federal Government is practically the local Administration for the island of St. Kitts. You also have the current situation where the Leader of the Opposition in the Federal Parliament, is in fact, the Deputy Premier of the Nevis Island Administration,” noted Prime Minister Douglas, adding that there are very strong views that have been expressed on both islands that there should not be any undue influence by Nevis in the formation of a Government for the Island of St. Kitts since the people of St. Kitts do not have the means of similar undue influence on the formation of a Government for the Island of Nevis.
“Hence, I should state very clearly that the recently stated positions that both parties on the Island of Nevis, do not wish to participate further in future Federal elections, is a very instructive position that we have today,” said Prime Minister Douglas, who pointed to the increasing call for greater autonomy for Nevis. “This has not gone unheeded by the Federal Government in St. Kitts,” said Dr. Douglas.
“We believe that one can begin to interpret what is meant by greater autonomy. In fact, the fundamental question is, greater autonomy to mean greater autonomy as part of the current Federal structure, or is greater autonomy to be interpreted to mean a separate Independent State for the Island of Nevis and as a result of achieving that, having two States – St. Kitts and Nevis - being held together by a Treaty of Friendship, which is one of the current positions that is being put forward,” noted Prime Minister Douglas.
Another unsettled question pointed out Prime Minister Douglas is the different interpretations as to the responsibility of the Federal Government. “We have had the unsettled question also put into context of the shared responsibilities. The need for the Nevis Island Administration to support in a tangible way some of those specific responsibilities that are carried out on behalf of the Peoples of both Islands by the Federal Government.”
He said it was an historic occasion that the two Parliaments are coming together for the first time “to continue in a dialogue as to how we can create a new constitutional relationship for the People of St. Kitts and the People of Nevis.”
Premier of Nevis, Hon. Vance Amory in his remarks said that a resolution of the relationship between St. Kitts and Nevis is “imperative, urgent and necessary for the continued future amicable existence of both Island States.”
Premier Amory hoped that as “we begin these joint consultations today, we will all find it possible and necessary to be open and frank in our expressions in respect of the way forward, to resolve the issue of the relationship between Nevis and St. Kitts and to speak without equivocation and speak honestly and objectively without animosity and to present the most mutually beneficial solution to this outstanding problem.”
He said both sides have issues, considerations of which will be important to a solution which would prevent the splitting up a country and enable the creation of entities which are mutually supportive.
“Prime Minister and colleagues, I am making that statement to show a willingness to move the process along in context of what is best for our country, what is best for St. Kitts and what is best for Nevis and to hope that all of us share a common purpose and that common purpose is to find a resolution to the situation in which we find ourselves and to resolve the relationship in an amicable and hopefully mutually beneficial way,” said Premier Amory.
He hoped that Tuesday’s meeting would make some decisions on the way forward, set time frames and schedule and consider the establishment of a Co-ordinating Committee of two persons who are independent thinking to help move the process forward.
At the meeting were St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister and Political Leader of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, Dr. the Hon. Denzil L. Douglas; Premier of Nevis and Political Leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), the Hon. Vance Amory; Leader of the Opposition in the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly, the Hon. Malcolm Guishard and Leader of the Opposition in the Nevis Island Assembly and Political Leader of the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP), the Hon. Joseph Parry.

Holding hands while Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Sam Condor invoked God's blessing on the meeting. Dr. Earl Asim Martin, Hon. Cedric Liburd, Hon. Rupert Herbert, Hon. Halva Hendrickson, Hon. Dwyer Astaphan

L-R: St. Kitts Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas and Nevis Premier Vance Amory