Photo No 1. – St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Recent public talk about a government of national unity comprising members of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), the People’s Action Movement (PAM) and two current Labour Party representatives appear to be a pie in the sky dream, "a figment of someone’s imagination."
Photo: 2 – Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Mark Brantley speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday.(Photos by Erasmus Williams)
Prime Minister Douglas in his address to the nation last week Friday and during the debate on The Senators (Increase in Number) Bill, 2013, on Tuesday of this week, contended that former Senior Minister Dr. The Hon. Timothy Harris was party to a conspiracy to deliver the Labour Government to the People’s Action Movement (PAM) and the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) with him (Dr. Harris) as Prime Minister because he had failed to pressure Dr. Douglas to resign and install him as Prime Minister.
"I am going to say again, it is as a result of conspiracy to bring the life of this government to an end and hand the Labour Government over to a Unity Government with he becoming Prime Minister is the figment of someone’s imagination," said Dr. Douglas.
Dr. Douglas disclosed to lawmakers and the Nation that Dr. Harris had told his constituents that the Hon. Mark Brantley was the final person to agree that he (Dr. Harris) will become the new Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity
"Every single house was told that the final person to have agreed to this and him becoming the Prime Minister was a Mark Brantley wherever he is," Dr. Douglas said.
Jumping to his feet, Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Mark Brantley, who is also Deputy Political Leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement and Deputy Premier of Nevis stunned parliamentarians and the Nation when he declared:
"There is only one Mark Brantley in here and I can say to the House, to you, Mr Speaker, as the Chair and to the Nation, that I have not been privy to any discussion or any agreement about anybody becoming the Prime Minister in any Unity or any other Government."
"But speaking for myself, I want the record to reflect very clearly, that if I am the Mark Brantley to which the member for #6 (Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas) is referring; I have not been privy to nor agreed to any arrangement and I want that to be known."
"What discussions have taken place?" asked Opposition Leader Brantley as Prime Minister Douglas insisted that some discussions have been taking place.
"I am coming to that, because what we are now hearing from the other side is that there is nothing called a Unity Government; that is what the other side is saying now all of a sudden. All of a sudden now they are saying ‘We don’t know anything about a Unity Government; it means that somebody has been fooled," said Prime Minister Douglas.
"You have been fooled," responded former Senior Minister Harris.
Dr. Douglas said:"Somebody has been fooled because we keep saying that it has to be the figment of one’s imagination, because we know the history in this country. How anybody sitting on this side of the House today can believe that someone in PAM or the PAM party or the CCM party is going to pass the Prime Ministership to them. Who could believe that on this side; it has to be somebody who is power crazy and power hungry?"
"No reasonable person sitting on this Labour bench side of the house can think that PAM or CCM is going to pass a Prime Ministership to them, you think so Sam? Sam can’t think like that. He can’t think like that he is a Labour Man; sorry you know he is a representative," said Prime Minister Douglas.
The revelation by Opposition Leader Brantley throws cold water on public talk of a unity government by Dr. Harris, PAM parliamentary and other official representatives, former government minister and operation rescue leader, Dwyer Astaphan as well as some talk show hosts.