By Lesroy W. Williams Observer Reporter
” (Basseterre, St. Kitts) – The Labor Government continues to put in place checks and balances to ensure transparency, accountability and good governance by two appointments recently made by the governor general, Prime Minister Denzil Douglas said. Speaking at his monthly press conference on Oct. 29, Dr. Douglas said that the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Cuthbert Sebastian, appointed a Constituency Boundaries Commission and an Ombudsman. After consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Lindsay Grant and the advice of the Prime Minister, the Governor General made the appointments of persons to the Constituency Boundaries Commission. The constitutional body is designed to investigate and advise Parliament as to what the constituency sizes should be like and where the boundaries will be drawn to ensure that the sizes are equal, the prime minister said. Mr. Anthony Johnson Esquire has been appointed as Chairman of the Constituency Boundaries Commission which includes the following persons: Hon. Mark Brantley and Hon. Vance Amory of Nevis, and Hon. Dr. Earl Assim Martin and Hon. Cedric Liburd of the St. Kitts Administration. The Commission has been activated and members received their appointments since September 24, 2008. The Governor General also appointed an Ombudsman in the person of His Excellency, Ambassador Walford Gumbs. The appointment was made with effect from August 1, 2008. The office of the Ombudsman will see to it that all citizens of the Federation get an opportunity to air their grievances with government services in order that these grievances may be addressed and resolved. The office is designed to ensure that the rights of citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis are protected, enforced and not trampled upon. “The office of the Ombudsman will maintain a high degree of independence and objectivity and will be staffed by the respective competent professional people,” Prime Minister Douglas said.
