Fellow Nevisians,

 

 The Nevis Reformation Party in Government strongly condemns recent statements and allegations made by the leadership of the Political Opposition here in Nevis.

 

 

 It is deeply regrettable that the Opposition seems determined to drag the High Court into the political arena as was the case in other islands.

 

On Saturday evening the leaders of the Opposition Party, told its supporters at a Public Meeting in Church Ground that the High Court Judge has been colluding with other upstanding citizens to defraud the electoral system on Nevis.

 

The fact is that for some time now the Opposition has expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of Nevisians working at the Electoral Office regarding voter registration.

 

 

Under our laws, the Opposition has been afforded an opportunity to file objections and to have a Registration Officer review them and to make a determination on those matters.

 

Let me say from the outset, that both Parties on Nevis have filed objections and not all of the results have been favorable to either of the Parties but my Party has accepted and respected the decision of the Registration Officer.

 

The Opposition however has opted to utilize another opportunity afforded by our laws, which allow them to take any unfavorable decisions by the Registration Officer to a higher authority for hearing and decision. That higher authority is the High Court.

 

 The Court System is there for many reasons: to interpret the law, and in many cases to resolve disputes.

 

On three separate occasions the Opposition has received an audience at the High Court level with the goal to overturn the decision of a Registration Officer. On each and every of those occasions, the High Court has upheld the decision of the Registration Officer and disagreed with the Opposition.

 

It is therefore very unfortunate and regrettable that instead of accepting and respecting the decision of the Court, the Opposition has decided to embark on a negative campaign to discredit and malign both the Electoral Office and the High Court here in Nevis.

 

On Saturday evening, the leader of the Federal Opposition who is also seeking to replace the duly elected representative of the parish of St. John resorted to characterizing the conduct of the Electoral Office as “corrupt” and described the Office as a “den of inequity”.

 

 He has characterized his Party’s defeat at the High Court as “anxiety over this news of the list fixing and the rigging and fraud and corruption.” And to top it off on Saturday, he said that he will use a politically motivated protest march, “to shut down Charlestown on Thursday.”

 

It is interesting to note that the “shut-down-Charlestown” protest march is scheduled to take place after all businesses would have closed their doors for businesses for the day anyway.

 

My friends and citizens, desperate men do and say desperate things. When these desperate statements are made by attorneys and officers of the Court who have for so long pretended to be different, they expose themselves as desperate men who are capable of saying and doing any and everything to seek the privileges of power.

 

Nevisians, be warned. Many a city, a country and civilization have been destroyed by men driven by a desperate greed for power at all cost. The Opposition if made up of such desperate men who are on record as refusing to accept the legitimacy of my Government.

 

 Additionally, his colleague candidate, who is seeking to unseat the Premier of Nevis, on Saturday evening, launched a vicious attack on the High Court Judge personally, suggesting that the Judge has been involved in “meetings” with officials of my Party to choreograph biased outcomes in the Court.

 

Almost two days after those public utterances were made, the deafening silence from the Opposition camp, their refusal to condemn or withdraw the recklessness of these statements and the harm that they can inflict on the judicial system is a reflection of the Opposition’s mentality to destroy the rule of law and democracy.

 

I have brought this matter to the attention of the Attorney General and with the hope that the Director of Public Prosecutions to take action protect the Court and institute whatever proceedings possible in order to remedy the situation.

 

As leader of the Nevis Reformation Party and Premier, I condemn and appeal to the Opposition to immediately withdraw all statements and planned activities that may be designed to cause political and civil unrest that run the risk of destabilizing our beautiful Nevis;

 

And to apologize to the Nevisians working in the Electoral Office and to the High Court Judge for the unacceptable characterizations and allegations levied against them.

 

Fellow Nevisians, soon I will seek for my Government’s contract with the people to be renewed. Despite all the odds, we have made tremendous strides as a small island Government.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fellow Nevisians, it is no surprise that the Opposition wishes to distract you from all of the gains that we have made together over the past four short years. Under my stewardship I have demonstrated that through thick and thin, your ship of state has weathered the storm and I am encouraged by your support to continue the hard work that lies ahead to make Nevis an even better place to live.

 

Let us demonstrate that Performance Matters; let us not lose focus; let us work together as one continue to take Nevis and Nevisians forward like never before.

 

May God Bless this island we all love so much.