Date set for talks on Nevis secession bid

Thursday, January 15, 2004

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts: A date has been set for talks with the Cabinets of the Federal Government and the Nevis Island Administration, major social partners and key operatives to examine the options and ramifications of the possible secession of Nevis from the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Cabinet Secretary Mr. Joseph Edmeade said Wednesday the meeting has been set for January 29th following discussions between St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas, Premier of Nevis, Mr Vance Amory and the Leader of the Opposition in the Federal Parliament, the Mr Malcolm Guishard.

Mr. Edmeade said the Cabinet Meeting on Monday was briefed on the discussions to be attended by representatives of the social and economic partners and political parties.

Prime Minister Douglas in his New Year's message said his Government remains committed to the view that constitutional reform provides a vehicle for addressing the concerns of the people of the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis, a vehicle for avoiding the huge social and economic cost that could result from the splintering of the Federation. 

Dr. Douglas told the Nation that the international community, fully cognisant of the monumental challenges that could be faced by a divided small island state in the increasingly competitive global village, "is also quite willing to assist us in accelerating and expediting this reform process."

He said while secession is a constitutional right of the people of Nevis that must be respected, it is not the only option available to them.

"Whatever the outcome of the roundtable and the constitutional processes, I am determined that the gains we have made over the years as a united and unified people will not be reversed, and furthermore that our very positive rating, economically and otherwise, will be maintained," said Prime Minister Douglas.

Meanwhile, Nevis Premier, Mr Vance Amory, has said that it is the intention of his government to maintain the good relations between Nevis and St. Kitts and all the other countries of the world after independence. 

He told a town hall meeting held on Monday night that his government had begun the process of talking about maintaining the friendly accord with St. Kitts.

He said that the government in Nevis had put forward the issue of maintaining the economic and trading arrangements which he emphasised that by putting it forward, it would be for the benefit of economic entities in St. Kitts because Nevis buys more than its sells.

"We do not deny that there are close ties between the people of St. Kitts and the people of Nevis," said Premier Amory on the issue of family ties. "But there are also close ties between the people of Nevis and the people of countries elsewhere and we have always made that as part of our understanding of the political and social and economic fundamental, that we as a party, when we came into government, always recognised that there are historic ties and that there are social ties, which bind us."

He however noted that those historic and social ties have not played to the advantage of the people of Nevis, and "we seem to have accepted it that because there are social and economic ties and family ties that we should take anything and be satisfied with it. I think the time for that has come to an end." 

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