Governor General of St Kitts, Sir Samuel Weymouth Tapley Seaton Thursday said he is awaiting “formal legal advice” before acting on an “undated” letter sent to him by seven government legislators indicating that they have no confidence in Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris.
In his letter to the legislators that included Deputy Prime Minister Shawn Richards and the Nevis Premier Mark Brantley, the Governor General wrote acknowledging receipt “of a communication addressed to me” which “bears no date.
“I note the request contained therein. Consistent with my duty to seek formal legal advice, I wish to advise that I will do so and revert to you at the earliest,” said the two-paragraph letter.
The coalition government comprises Harris’s People’s Labour Party (PLP) Richards’s People’s Action Movement (PAM) and Brantley’s Concerned Citizen’s Movement (CCM). The PLP controls two of the nine seats in the coalition Team Unity government.
Brantley, speaking on a radio program here on Thursday, said that the seven legislators had written to the Governor General indicating that “Dr. Timothy Harris does not command the support of the majority of elected members in the National Assembly.
“It is a matter for the GG (Governor General), his Excellency to act. We believe based on legal advice that we have taken that he does in fact have the authority to act and therefore we have invited him to do so,” said Brantley.
Brantley said that a statement would be issued later on Thursday by Richards, adding that he is also not aware of any resignations by government ministers at the moment.
“As it relates to resignations, I believe that all options are on the table at this point…but I am aware that the status quo which it appears the Prime Minister is prepared to keep at all costs, that status quo can no longer serve the interest of the people of St Kitts-Nevis,” Brantley said.
(More to follow)
CMC/
