St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew says he has invited his predecessor, Dr. Timothy Harris, to the unveiling of his new cabinet on Saturday during a public ceremony at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium.
Drew led the main opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) to victory in last Friday’s general election winning six of the 11 seats in the 15-member Parliament. The other four seats are to be named by the governor general.
Harris was forced to call the snap election three years ahead of the constitutional deadline after his coalition Team Unity government had collapsed in June.
“As I have said before I have nothing personal against him [Harris]. Everything I said was fair and factual in the [election] campaign,” said Dr. Drew, adding “I was asked about his security and his vehicle, and I have said to the Commissioner of Police [Hilroy Brandy] that he should be left with a vehicle and should be given security.”
The prime minister said he was not interested in the actions taken against former prime minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas by Dr. Harris when he assumed the position of prime minister in 2015, when Douglas, who was among the victorious SKNLP candidates in last week’s polls, lost the general election then.
“I criticized what he [Dr. Harris] did [to Dr. Douglas]. I said it was wrong and now that I am in the position, I have the opportunity to set a new paradigm and that I have done. I have extended that courtesy to him, and I have also invited him to the inauguration of my new Cabinet. He is a former head of government and I think he deserves to be invited as well,” said Dr. Drew.
Prime Minister Drew, who was sworn in last Saturday, as the twin-island federation’s fourth prime minister, said the event will begin at 4.00 p.m.
Drew said he had also held talks with the political leaders of the ruling Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) and the opposition Nevis Reformation Party (NRP).
“I have communicated with the premier of Nevis (Mark Brantley) and the leader of the NRP (Dr Janice Daniel-Hodge). I have said to the premier that the issues with Nevis need to be resolved and I am taking that very seriously.
CMC/
