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Once again a most
exciting drama is unfolding in the political arena
in Nevis; and it is being dictated by the astute and
highly intelligent Nevisian electorate. In August
1966, Mr. Eugene Walwyn was elected as the representative
for St. Paul / St.Thomas/St.Thomas constituency on
a platform of Secession for Nevis. But in January
1967 he crossed the floor of the House of Assembly
to become the Attorney General and Minister of Legal
Affairs in the Honourable Robert Bradshaw's Labour
Government.
The electorate in his constituency in particular,
and the people of Nevis in general were enraged by
his deception and betrayal of their trust. Thus, in
the Local Council election in December 1967 the party
which was led by his opponent, the Honourable Frederick
Parris won 5 of the 6 seats being contested, with
a total of 1125 votes out of a possible 1502, or a
percentage of 74% of the total votes cast. In 1971,
the Honourable Eugene Walwyn, the Attorney General
in the Labour Government lost his seat to Mr. Ivor
Stevens.
In 1976 the two seats contested in Nevis were won
by Messrs Simeon Daniel and Ivor Stevens of the Nevis
Reformation Party (NRP), which campaigned on a platform
of Secession for Nevis. In 1977, the NRP held a referendum
on the question of the secession of Nevis from St.
Kitts which secured a 99% vote in favour of secession.
This was however, an "unofficial" referendum.
In 1983 with the advent of Independence, Nevis obtained
the constitutional right to secede from the Federation
of St. Christopher and Nevis if a referendum on secession
was supported by 67% of the total votes cast. In 1998
a referendum for the Secession of Nevis was conducted
by the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) Government
led by Premier Vance Amory and opposed by the NRP
led by the Honourable Joseph Parry, resulting in a
vote of 62% in favour of Secession.
The Federal election held on the 25th January, 2010
resulted in a clear majority for the St. Kitts Labour
Party, with no necessity for a coalition government.
So when the Honourable Patrice Nisbett, who was elected
by the people of Constituency Nevis 11, accepted the
appointment as Minister of Legal Affairs/Attorney
General he was following in the footsteps of the Honourable
Eugene Walwyn in January 1967 by deserting the constituency
in Nevis which had chosen him as their elected representative
in order to become a Minister of the Government of
the St. Kitts Labour Party. Instead of working, debating
and voting on behalf of the voters in St. Thomas and
St. James in Nevis who elected him, the Honourable
Patrice Nisbett will be duty bound to vote, work and
debate for the Cabinet of the St. Kitts Labour Government
of which he is now a member and which represents the
St. Kitts Labour Party which did not elect him!
The decision of the NRP to give their blessing for
the acceptance of this appointment by Honourable Patrice
Nisbett confirms the statement in their throne speech
in July 2006 that their Government would discard the
constitutional objective of the island of Nevis to
seek political independence by means of secession.
The NRP instead stated that they would promote autonomy
for Nevis within the Federation by means of seeking
"devolution of power" through constitutional
reform.
The electorate in Nevis must therefore decide before
we go to the polls next year to elect our Island Assembly,
whether we are going to tolerate being governed by
a Party which has absolutely no respect or regard
for the historical aspirations and constitutional
right of the people of Nevis to obtain political independence
which is written into the Constitution of St. Kitts
and Nevis in Section 113.
Thank God that the electorate in Nevis has once again
proved in the federal election of January 25th 2010
that we have the astuteness, resilience, and determination
to maintain our position in the Opposition of the
Federal Parliament in spite of whatever may have been
done to prevent this. It is also our right to have
a Government of Nevis which is loyal to our destiny
of Independence in accordance with Section 113 in
our Constitution which was written there by the first
Premier of Nevis the Honourable Dr. Simeon Daniel.
Let us keep this loyalty alive by returning to the
Government of Nevis, the Concerned Citizens Movement,
which is the Party that now supports the cause of
Independence for Nevis by means of Secession from
the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
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