By Lesroy W. Williams Observer Reporter
(Basseterre, St. Kitts) – Leader of the People’s Action Movement, Lindsay Grant, has called Prime Minister Douglas” talk of bipartisanship on important matters of nation concern a joke. “Action speaks louder than words,” Mr. Grant said. “Bipartisan approach? The Prime Minister loves to blow hot and cold at the same time. If the Prime Minister is really, really serious about the bipartisan approach he will honour the letter I wrote to him since Oct.9, 2000, and said to him in that letter, Mr. Prime Minister the time has come for St. Kitts and Nevis to have a different approach and style in the politics that we practice,” Mr. Grant said. “I also said to him that I was available at anytime to sit down at the table in a bipartisan manner to discuss matters of national importance and give a national response,” he said. “We talk about a bipartisan approach. We are ready but we are certain that the government is not concerned about reaching across the isle and speaking to the PAM,” Mr. Grant said. Mr. Grant said that they have extended the olive branch a long time ago but that their attempts have been scoffed at. Mr. Grant highlighted a number of cases in elucidating his point that the Douglas was not serious about a bipartisan approach. “Let us look at something quite recent. We have written to ZIZ to seek permission to broadcast on ZIZ live our town hall meeting which is at PAM Headquarters on November 27 at 8 p.m. We are yet to receive a response. We wrote to ZIZ also for them to give us some time on air for a program called “Chat with Lindsay” and as of this date, no response,” Mr. Grant said. About a week and a half ago when the PAM was having a town hall meeting in Half-Way Tree, we were refused permission to go in the Half-Way Tree Community Centre and so we had to pitch tent to accommodate the people in the rain and cold, Mr. Grant said. In light of the unprecedented crime and murder rate in the country, Mr. Grant said that he had written to the Prime Minister but did not get a reply. “We also said to him, Mr. Prime Minister, crime is not a matter one should divide the country on. We need to have a common approach, a forthright approach, a unified approach, a unified response to crime because the criminals don’t know PAM, the criminals don’t know Labour, they only know about committing crime and we need to have a hard-line approach. That is the kind of bipartisan approach we would wish to see,” Mr. Grant said. Mr. Grant said that if PAM is victorious in the next general elections they would be bipartisan in their approach, even now as they continue to engage the government on a bipartisan approach. Mr. Grant’s comments were made at the PAM monthly press conference at the Ocean Terrace Inn on November 25.”
