Last Updated on July 18, 2019, 3:46 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Saturday’s visit to Nevis by Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Sylvester Harris without informing the Premier of Nevis, Hon Mark Brantley is being described as “disrespectful.”
The issue was raised Tuesday on WINNFM’s, The Operating Room by former government minister Dwyer Astaphan.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Harris travelled to Nevis and held a meeting with officers of the Fire Department at the Vance Amory International Airport in the absence of Premier Brantley.
Operation Rescue Dwyer Astaphan sees it as “an effort to weaken the CCM and to undermine the leader of the CCM,” Premier Mark Brantley.
“The premier of Nevis by all accounts was not informed, advised or protocols observed,” said Astaphan who noted that the fire services is a federal responsibility.
“To go to Nevis without informing the Premier (Brantley) and getting his approval…. work things out, not that Harris needed Brantley’s blessing or approval. You are in government together (but) still respect the fact that he is the premier and work with them and his office and let the courtesies be extended accordingly. Do not make unilateral arrangements like that,” said Astaphan.
“You cannot say because you are the prime minister and going to Nevis and by-pass the whole Nevis Island Administration. That is not right,” said Astaphan, who further there are no reports that Prime Minister Harris had informed Premier Brantley.
“He (Harris) can be regarded as reasonably and logically as having disrespected Premier Brantley and disrespecting the Office of the Premier of Nevis by going to Nevis, the way he did. Why would that be done to Premier Brantley, to a political party that is your partner in your (Federal) government,” said Astaphan, who in a major way was responsible for putting together Team Unity and the three-party coalition government.
The St Kitts-Nevis Times, which is under the control of Harris’ Peoples Labour Party (PLP) reported that Dr Harris in his capacity as Minister of Finance told the firemen, he had “sent to Nevis this year an additional one million dollars for the completion of the police station and as Minister of Finance, he has to ensure that monies aren’t squandered.”
Prime Minister Harris was notably absent from Sunday’s groundbreaking in Nevis for the construction of the Taiwan-financed Pinneys Beach Recreation Park during the State Visit of the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Her Excellency Dr. Tsai Ing-wen.
On his Facebook account on Monday morning, Premier Brantley in what he was said is an owned quotation and viewed as an apparent response to Dr Harris’ Saturday statement, posted: “There is nothing as ugly or destructive as the human frailty of insecurity. If you are confident to be who you are and what you do, then there is no need to fear any man.”
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
