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.
