Chances
seem very good right now, that the quest of independence for Nevis will be settled once and for all, some forty or perhaps fifty years down the road. At this moment, there doesn’t seem to be much chanceof it happening before then. Interest seems to have faded like the colour from a pair of worn-out dungarees. Attempting to restore the colour can be pretty chancy. Unless a dramatic shift occurs in the way things are currently being handled, it will probably take decades to restore public interest and confidence in the idea of independence for Nevis.
Constitutional Reform was proposed and supposed to be a better chance for Nevis, by those who opposed the idea of independence. But at present the leaders on either side of these issues seem unable or unwilling to mount the type of campaigns necessary to either gloriously achieve, or convincingly defeat those objectives. The lollygagging approach seems to be the order of the day and the effect on the general public does not appear to have won any large amount of converts to one side or the other. If anything, the natural process of attrition has steadily worn down the numbers that at one time were strongly in favour of secession.
The people who were in the prime of life in the 1970’s are over the hill today, and some of them have gone already and are no longer with us. Most of the younger generation have not yet had enough real life experience to be able to evaluate and take a position on the reasons that caused so many of the old timers in the past, to almost unanimously declare support for Nevis to separate and take the chance to run its own affairs. Neither are they able to absorb the import of Constitutional Reform. Although claims that this is the best chance for Nevis have been spread pretty thick, the evidence that it is practical or even possible is painfully thin.
These factors will not help the electorate in Nevis to enthusiastically support Independence or Constitutional Reform in numbers great enough for a convincing determination any time in the near future, unless more persuasive and appealing arguments are regularly presented to the public by the proponents of one side or the other. “Fat chance,” you say, and of course you are right since the proponents of independence seem to lack vibrant political leadership, and their opponents seem to have come from the same mold. Recently they have begun more and more to resemble Siamese twins joined at the hip, unwilling and unable to outpace each other.
Bold measures are sometimes advocated to free such twins from each other, but chances are that one and sometimes both will perish in attempts of this kind. At any rate – at the rate things are going in Nevis these days, both of these twins will probably have long gone from the scene before Independence or Constitutional Reform has a chance to become reality for Nevis. Not that I’m wishing an early demise for anyone, perish the thought. But fresh, new, vibrant ideas and strategies are more likely to achieve a winning position for Nevis, than the current situation.
The stagnant position we are presently mired in, effectively cancels most chances of attracting desirable investment and improving the economic and social climate in Nevis. Stronger moves could open up better opportunities, but a few pawns may have to be sacrificed first. Our leading players must rise to the challenges and take steps that are calculated to improve the chances for Nevis to succeed one way or another. To do nothing is to leave Nevis with no chance at all, except to wait for a newer generation to discover all over again, what needs to be done.
Almost ten years have past since clause 113 was first activated by the Nevis Island Administration in 1996. Despite the fact that the vast majority of the people of Nevis had been in favour of secession for decades, so much uncertainty was created by the opposition, that the measure was defeated by a narrow margin in a referendum in 1998. The door was wide open then for those advocating constitutional reform to press their advantage, especially since they were touting the narrow defeat of the YES vote, as a great victory for their position. Sadly, the issue of constitutional reform has been fading in the distance ever since, just like the idea of secession for Nevis. This situation cannot by any stretch of the imagination be considered reflections of great leadership.
The proponents of both of these issues have wasted the chances and botched the opportunities to craft a newer and better relationship with St.Kitts, whether within the Federation or without. Yet each side will urge Nevisians to vote for their candidates in an election that is likely to be held very soon. I am not thrilled with the prospects. I have not been impressed with the way our leaders in the government or the opposition, have handled matters regarding the relationship between St.Kitts and Nevis. To my mind it has always been the biggest issue confronting us, and the one our leaders should always have been the most diligent about. They haven’t been, and chances are that no matter who you vote for, they still won’t be. This gloomy outlook is based on what I’ve perceived from past performances.
I am acutely aware of course, that there is probably not even the ghost of a chance that these comments will be taken seriously by those it targets. But then, those arethe kind of chances that writers like me have always taken.
(After a prolonged absence, Amba Trott returns to the Observer with his pithy prose, hearty humour, and inimitable style. Whether one agrees or disagrees with his views, his columns have always been thought-provoking and entertaining. We feel that readers will be as pleased as we are to have him back. His comments and ideas of course, are strictly his own and not those of the Observer.)
(Contact Amba Trott at 469-1424, website,www.ambatrott.com or e-mail:ambatrott@ambatrott.com )
