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Dr.
Denzil Douglas is sworn in.
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For a fourth consecutive
term, St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party leader Hon. Dr. Denzil
Douglas was sworn in as Prime Minister of the Federation.
In a ceremony at Government House on Wednesday, Dr.
Douglas took the Oath of Allegiance and later signed
the Book of Appointment at Government Headquarters before
several dignitaries including Justice Frances Belle,
Governor General His Excellency Sir Cuthbert Sebastian,
members of the SKNLP and members of foreign diplomatic
corps.
Dr. Douglas swore
to "honor, uphold and preserve the Constitution
of St. Christopher and Nevis and the Law" and
that he would "conscientiously, impartially and
to the best of my ability, discharge my duties as
Prime Minister, and do right to all manner of evil,
without fear or favor, affection or ill will".In
accordance with the Instrument of Appointment, Sir
Cuthbert read, "I do hereby appoint you, the
said Honorable Denzil Llewellyn Douglas to be the
Prime Minister of St. Christopher ad Nevis with the
powers, rights, privileges and advantages to the same,
belonging with effect from Wednesday 27th January
2010."
Dr. Douglas was returned
to power on January 25th when his party, the SKNLP,
won the federal elections with a majority of 6 seats
out of 11. On St. Kitts, opposition party People's
Action Movement won 2 seats, and on Nevis the Concerned
Citizens' Movement took 2 seats and the Nevis Reformation
Party 1 seat. Following the announcement of the polling
results early Tuesday morning, a large crowd gathered
between Lower College Street Ghaut and Church Street
for an impromptu celebration with the Labour candidates.
In delivering his
victory speech, Dr. Douglas told the fanatic crowd
that it was his honor to be re-elected and thanked
his teammates and supporters. "On behalf of the
St Kitts Nevis Labour Party, it is indeed a special
honor to accept your resounding mandate for an unprecedented
fourth straight term in government. It is working!
Our work together has created a better St Kitts and
Nevis. It has been working since 1995 and it will
continue to work indefinitely in the caring hands
of Labour. Thank the members of our ALL 8 Team especially
the first timers who have booked their places in the
National Assembly. I thank our devoted team of foot
soldiers all over the country, whose passion for the
principles of Labour drove the compelling will to
win for the public interest. "This is your victory
a victory that has once again given your Labour Party
the proud distinction of the popular vote," he
said.
The returning Prime
Minister pledged his commitment to unifying the nation
and extended an olive branch to his political opponents.
"I extend a hand of friendship to the People's
Action Movement, its followers, and its leader Mr.
Lindsay Grant. I am fully committed to using the invaluable
leadership experience I have been fortunate to gain
over the years, as a tool of healing and unification
in a country that too often forgets we are one people
and one nation.
"But we will
not heal and we will not unify if we don't first commit
ourselves to respecting the popular will and operating
at all times with mutual respect, tolerance and empathy
for each other. Healing and unification will also
require re-examination of roles and honest conclusions
about what we need to be doing differently for the
public good, whether NGO Coalition, the media, the
church, the business community, the political parties
or party supporters- we are all in this together.
"Three Labour
candidates will resume parliamentary duties having
been re-elected on Monday- Hon. Earl Asim Martin,
Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Sam Condor, and Hon. Dr.
Timothy Harris. Hon. Rupert Herbert retired from active
politics at the conclusion of last term's parliament.
The Observer was reliably informed that newcomers
to the political race Labour's other winning candidates
Glenn Phillip and Marcella Liburd; along with PAM's
Eugene Hamilton and Hon. Shawn Richards; CCM's Hon.
Vance Amory and Hon. Mark Brantley; and NRP's Hon.
Patrice Nesbitt will be sworn in as members of the
federal parliament early next week.
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