The national hero of St Kitts and Nevis, Sir Kennedy Simmonds, has called for the removal of Prime Minister Timothy Harris from office, saying that he is not good for the twin-island federation or democracy.
During his unprecedented address to the nation, Sir Kennedy, a former prime minister, said Harris should not be allowed to contest the August 5 general election because “he has proven that he cannot be trusted.”
A former prime minister of St. Kitts-Nevis, Sir Kennedy noted that the Federation was “sink[ing] into a crisis of morality in the face of a rampant and self-seeking dictatorship” and a “political nightmare of nepotism and greed”.
Former leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) said he rarely makes political statements since his retirement in 1995 but that “the current state of affairs in my country has forced me to break my tradition”.
He accused Harris, who is leading his People’s Labour Party (PLP) into the general election of “trying to corrupt the electoral process and steal and buy the elections.
“For the benefit of future generations, this present danger to our democracy, Timothy Harris must be removed with the greatest urgency. All hands must be on board, we have a nation to save,” Kennedy said, adding that Harris has consistently betrayed the trust of allies.
He said Harris consistently undermined the unity arrangements that led to the electoral victory of the coalition Team Unity government in the last two general elections, and that the other members had no choice but to resign.