Black Immigrant Daily News

Basseterre, 19th September 2022.  Foreign Minister, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, representing Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance M. Drew arrived early on the 18th of September in London for the State Funeral of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8th. Dr. Douglas was met on arrival at Gatwick airport by Representatives of King Charles III and the Foreign Secretary, Mr James Cleverly and by St. Kitts and Nevis’ High Commissioner Isaac.

His first engagement was the King’s Reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the King for the foreign dignitaries who had traveled to London to pay their respects to the late Monarch, who was well-regarded and globally respected for her diplomatic skills, unparalleled service to her country and the Commonwealth, as well as her quiet moral leadership and devotion to duty.

The Rt. Hon. Foreign Minister conveyed condolences, on behalf of Prime Minister Dr. Drew to HM King Charles III, the Earl of Wessex, the late Queen’s youngest son, and the Rt. Hon. Liz Truss, recently appointed Prime Minister of the UK.   He conveyed the profound sadness of the government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis on the passing of Her Majesty.  

Although this was not an occasion for politics, Dr Douglas expressed delight in meeting and engaging with old Commonwealth friends, and the opportunity to meet new leaders working in the service of their countries. 

Today, in a solemn, but fitting ceremony that celebrated the life and legacy of Her late Majesty, Foreign Minister Dr. Douglas attended the State Funeral at Westminster Abbey and then the Committal Service at St. Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle where the late Queen will be interred. During a lunch with fellow Commonwealth dignitaries at Windsor Castle, the Rt. Hon. Foreign Minister raised a toast to celebrate the 39th anniversary of the Independence of St. Kitts and Nevis and informed fellow guests that despite the sadness at Windsor Castle, at that very moment in Warner Park in Basseterre, St. Kitts, a ceremonial Parade was ongoing. In a brief remark, Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland KC, who had earlier read the First lesson at the State Funeral Service remarked on how the two ceremonies were a celebration of a life of service to the Commonwealth and the members of the Realm. 

The Rt. Hon Dr. Denzil Douglas, who was joined by High Commissioner Isaac, leaves Tuesday for New York as part of Prime Minister Dr. Drew’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

I greet you with love, peace and a renewed sense of purpose  and hope for our beautiful nation of St. Kitts and Nevis on the  39th Anniversary of Independence. 

When our national flag was raised on September 19th, 1983,  so too were the hopes and dreams of our people. 

We are a proud people, a hopeful people – led by our  forefathers and foremothers from British colonial rule to our  own dream of freedom and self-sufficiency.  

Each Independence season, it seems only right that we ask:  “Are we truly independent? Are our people free?” The debates  are robust and lively in our barbershops, village bars and shops  and even in our homes among friends and relatives.  

While the answers will vary – I believe we can all agree that  our Federation has come quite far since that day 39 years ago 

Contact: (869)467-1846 │ presssec@gov.kn │ www.sknis.com 

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis  Government Headquarters  

Church Street, P.O. Box 186, Basseterre, St. Kitts  Telephone: (869)465-2521 

when we first uttered the words of our anthem: “Thy children  stand free on the strength of will and love.” 

It is our will and our love of nation that has brought us this far.  We are a people who are always stretching for better. We  have the power of our ancestors, the many unsung, known  and unknown heroes who we celebrated just this past  weekend on National Heroes Day. 

Our political independence was just the first step. Over the  years, we have also built the foundation of our own social,  economic, and cultural freedoms. I will confess, we are not  totally free yet – as a small island nation, we depend on many  partners, internationally and regionally.  

But we are on a path of continuous improvement for our  people and our country. And as your Fourth Prime Minister of  this land – of which I am very proud to be a citizen – I am  honoured to lead our country along this path.  

Our nation is much closer to true independence than not.  -1-

Contact: (869)467-1846 │ presssec@gov.kn │ www.sknis.com 

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis  Government Headquarters  

Church Street, P.O. Box 186, Basseterre, St. Kitts  Telephone: (869)465-2521 

As we approach 40 years as an independent nation in 2023,  we also set our eyes on transitioning into a republic. We trod  on towards that goal. That goal of self-determination and self actualisation where we truly encapsulate our sovereignty.  

That is why each time I get the opportunity to speak to our  nation’s young people, I challenge them to be innovative, to  be creative and to envision a better St. Kitts and Nevis and use  their immense skills to help get us there. 

Such was the call to action made by Kittitian and world renowned photographer, Professor Tau Battice during the  2022 Prime Minister’s Lecture on September 14th. He  encouraged all of us to tap into our visual and creative  faculties, as we envision where we would like to see St. Kitts  and Nevis in the future. Thank you Professor Battice for  challenging us to do better and be better. 

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Contact: (869)467-1846 │ presssec@gov.kn │ www.sknis.com 

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis  Government Headquarters  

Church Street, P.O. Box 186, Basseterre, St. Kitts  Telephone: (869)465-2521 

My goal is to harness the immense power and unbridled  talents of all our people to help fuel this rocket ship, we call  Liamuiga and Oualie, into the stratosphere of prosperity and  excellence. 

Your government is now just a month old and we have been  working extremely hard to fulfil the pledges and the covenant  we have made with you: 

All COVID-19 related health and travel protocols have  been removed 
A new, modern MRI has been ordered for the JNF General  Hospital 
Our Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College is now free for our  students 
Financial assistance has been enhanced for our critically  ill children who need overseas medical attention ● Persons wrongfully dismissed for not taking a COVID-19  vaccine have been compensated 
Our COVID-19 frontline workers will soon receive an  honorarium for their selfless work during the pandemic 

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Contact: (869)467-1846 │ presssec@gov.kn │ www.sknis.com 

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis  Government Headquarters  

Church Street, P.O. Box 186, Basseterre, St. Kitts  Telephone: (869)465-2521 

Economic costs supported has been reinstated for all  disciplines being pursued by our students at the  University of the West Indies 
Women and youth have been appointed to critical  ministerial and ambassadorial positions 
And for the first time in our nation’s history, we have  three women in our Federal Cabinet of ministers 

Your government is working! And we will continue to work  tirelessly on your behalf.  

We continue to ask for your support and your patience as we  carry out this work. Yes, there will be missteps but I assure you  and reassure you that any mistakes made will not be because  of ill-intent but rather because of our fervent desire to make  our country better. 

I must pause here and recognise the passing of Her Majesty  Queen Elizabeth The Second who will be laid to rest today in  England.  

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Contact: (869)467-1846 │ presssec@gov.kn │ www.sknis.com 

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis  Government Headquarters  

Church Street, P.O. Box 186, Basseterre, St. Kitts  Telephone: (869)465-2521 

Her 70-year reign was marked by resilience and piety and we  offer prayers and comfort to her family and all who mourn at  this time. 

As we commemorate our 39th Independence, we have to give  thanks for God’s mercy over the years and more recently as  our nation was spared the full brunt of Tropical Storm Fiona. I  thank sincerely all the members of our National Emergency  Operations Centre and our disaster response teams for  keeping us safe and informed. 

My fellow citizens and residents, the state of our St. Kitts and  Nevis is stable and hopeful. I know this because throughout  every corner of these great islands that I visit, our people are  reenergized to work and build our economy … our people stop  me and express how excited they are about our future.  

This gives me hope that your government is on the right path  and I continue to ask you to support us and help keep us on  that path. 

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Contact: (869)467-1846 │ presssec@gov.kn │ www.sknis.com 

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis  Government Headquarters  

Church Street, P.O. Box 186, Basseterre, St. Kitts  Telephone: (869)465-2521 

“Your country can be no greater than yourselves. It is not God  that makes the cities and towns. God gives you the land, but  you build the cities. Your St. Kitts [and Nevis] will be no  greater than your mindset.” These were the words of The  Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey when he spoke to our  people in November 1937 at the Mutual Improvement Society  Hall, the remnants of which still stand in Lower Market Street,  Basseterre today. Brother Marcus Garvey was right then and  his words are quite appropriate even now.  

I encourage us all to have that collective mindset to build our  country, to mould and empower our youth, to protect and  empower our women, to truly live out the philosophy of  Country Above Self. Indeed, as our Independence 39 theme  states, we must all collectively “refocus, recreate and  redesign.” When we do that, when we realize that St. Kitts and  Nevis can be no greater than ourselves, then we will be able  to answer that question and say “YES, we are independent!” 

Thank you and HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY once again. May  God continue to bless you all and may God continue to bless  our Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. 

NewsAmericasNow.com

Black Immigrant Daily News

My fellow Citizens and Residents, today we celebrate our 39th year as an independent nation, under the theme “Refocus, Re-create, Redesign: Independence 39”. To me this means that now is the time for us to reassess, develop new ideas and chart a new course for the development of our country.

Independence is a desired status, after a certain level of maturity is attained. Closely aligned with independence are words such as self-determination, self-reliance, responsibility and freedom. Countries across the globe, therefore, including St. Kitts and Nevis, celebrate their independence in grand style each year.

In November 2021, Barbados took the final step to full independence when it became the Republic of Barbados; on that date the role of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as head of state was transferred to President Sandra Mason of Barbados.

I take a moment here to express my deepest condolences to the royal family, on the passing of Queen Elizabeth the second who died on September 08, 2022. At the time of her passing she was still the head of state of St. Kitts and Nevis and as we mourn the passing of our queen. She will be remembered by many as soft spoken, compassionate and caring. Notably, the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth the second takes place today, September 19, the anniversary date of our country’s independence.

On September 19, 1983, when our country became independent, the people of Nevis rejoiced, because, enshrined in our constitution, is Section 102 that returned home rule to Nevis after 100 years. The Nevis Island Administration and the Nevis Island Assembly were established, and the newly established NRP-led NIA did not hesitate to exercise its exclusive powers to set Nevis on a path of self-determination, self -reliance and of course on a path to Peace, Progress and Prosperity.

We are aware that our constitution is not flawless. We have seen, in recent times, the Charlestown Accord being developed as an attempt to address concerns regarding unfair allocation of revenues and resources.  Most recently, we are aware of a court ruling that has created much ambiguity and debate surrounding the legal status, and the level of independence that the NIA can enjoy under Section 102 of our constitution. Sentiments of mistrust, unfair treatment and devolution of powers should not be overlooked. We must refocus our efforts, both at the federal level and the NIA level, to strengthen our constitution in the interest of financial equity, political stability and harmonious relations among our people.  Of course constitutional reform is not a new issue but it must be given priority attention at this time.

As we start our 39th year of independence with a new labour administration at the helm in the federal government, King Charles the third is our new head of state, marking the first change in our head of state since St. Kitts and Nevis became an independent nation. As changes occur around us, we must adjust ourselves so that we benefit from change rather than be consumed by it.  During this, our 39th year of independence, the people of Nevis will have the opportunity to go to the polls to usher in a refreshing change to the NIA. Your NRP-led NIA, devoid of distractions and shenanigans, will bring into focus a clear path to achieve our goal of a more self-reliant and sustainable Nevis. We clearly understand that no man is an island and that there is a fundamental need to build and maintain progressive partnerships, especially with our sister island of St. Kitts and further afield to advance mutually beneficial objectives,

Today, we stand proud to celebrate our independence. Based on some global indicators, our country’s economy is performing well. We recognize however, that with very little Foreign Direct Investment into Nevis, and with heavy reliance on the federal government for budgetary support, Nevis has lost ground in its quest to be self-reliant. We recognize also that the CCM administration’s poor performance in creating employment opportunities, along with a high cost of living, with indiscriminate taxation schemes, is eroding the quality of life that our people once enjoyed.

We have witnessed the impacts that external shocks such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war has had on our economy. Nevis needs a new appeal for investors and new opportunities to provide a vibrant future for our youths.  It is critically important at this juncture, that we begin to recreate our economy, especially around our natural resources such as mango, cannabis, hot springs, and heritage sites, with a focus to create employment opportunities for our people. We must invest in our people and in our small businesses to strengthen the economy and carefully manage our athletes and our ecosystems as natural resources upon which to expand and diversify our tourism product. Our social programs must be more responsive to struggling families and our health care services must be more resilient to weather conditions, meaning enhanced services must be available on Nevis rather than traveling across the waters to St. Kitts.  Our education and training programs must be structured to support the industries that are being developed on island, whether it be technology related, climate related, sports related or food related, so that high level skills do not have to be routinely imported.  We are resolute to develop a new economic model for Nevis on a sustainability framework.

As we strive to achieve a sustainable and self-reliant Nevis, may we respect and appreciate one another, may we respect and appreciate our natural resources and may we continue to have faith in God. As Nevis prospers and our country prospers, we can extend a hand to help others achieve their goal of sustainability and self-reliance.

I wish a Happy Independence Day to all who call St. Kitts and Nevis home.

May God continue to bless us all.

Thank you.

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