By Lesroy W. Williams Observer Reporter
(Basseterre, St Kitts) – Chairman of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, Dr. Timothy Harris, said that the government acknowledges there is an electricity problem that has been prolonged and indicates the problem is widespread. “Certainly I believe that the government would want to confess that there is a problem. I as an individual and a member of the Labour” Party would say from different points of view that there is some lack of appreciation, a sense that there is not a real unearthing of the critical problems that is plaguing the electricity,” Dr. Harris said. However, Dr. Harris doesn’t think that the remedy is the calling of an early election as the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Lindsay Grant, has done. “It is a matter therefore for which the remedy is not an election but to have an external evaluation of the problem at the electricity department and after the investigation let the chips fall where they may,” Dr. Harris said. “Whoever is responsible should be held accountable to the public.” Many people in the Federation are fed up with the series of excuses given in press releases for the electricity problem after the Minister of Public Utilities, Assim Martin, announced that the generating capacity of the plant was sufficient to meet peak demands and that load-shedding had ended. However, power outages continue to plague the nation and frustration among the people is mounting in the face of damaged and destroyed household appliances and inconviences that are suffered almost daily. “Where we should be now is to have an independent enquiry and stop wasting time. There should be recognition that there is need for an independent investigation into what is happening at the Electricity Department by persons unconnected to that plant and facility,” Dr. Harris said. “Unconnected means that the providers of the equipment at the plant are not the ones who would do the investigation for us,” he said. “Unconnected means people who would not have an employee relationship with the government but more or less would be invited to account for the problem and enter into a contractual arrangement of finite duration, during which they would apply all the expertise and experience to help us better understand what is the true nature of the problem and make recommendations to rectify the problem that has been plaguing us,” Dr. Harris said.””” In 2004, Prime Minister Douglas promised the country a commission of enquiry into similar problems experienced then with electricity outages but to date no such enquiry has come about.
