The Peoples Labour Party led by its Leader Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris elected a new PLP party executive at Saturday’s Inaugural convention held in the PM’s constituency in Tabernacle.
As expected disgruntled executive and founding members of the Party formed in 2013 did not attend and were not nominated for any position. Despite statements by PLP leader and St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris that invitations were sent to them in February, they claimed they were not invited to attend. Among them the former Chairman Douglas Wattley, former General Secretary Clecton Phillip, who resides in Canada and former Deputy political leader and candidate for West Basseterre, UN Ambassador Sam Condor did not attend.
Other founding members including G A Dwyer Astaphan and Thelma Phillip-Brown did not attend either.
The former executive that decided against attending the convention, for months demanded accountability in the disappearance of some 10 million dollars in campaign contributions. Frustrated by the lack of cooperation from Dr. Harris to a mandated inquiry, chairman Wattley and General Secretary Phillip took to social media and vented their frustration on main stream and social media.
Following last week’s announcement the convention will be held, Deputy Leader Sam Condor threatened legal action if the original executive was removed in what Condor described as a “hijacking” of PLP by Dr Harris.
During the closed session of the convention Dr. Timothy Harris was returned as National Party Leader. Mrs Akilah Byron-Nisbett, the niece in-law of Dr. Harris was elected the new National Deputy Leader, Mr. Warren Thompson as National Chairman; Mr. Craig Tuckett returning as National Deputy Chairman; Miss Myrtilla Williams as the new National Secretary, Mr. Christophe Greaux as Deputy Secretary, Mr. Victor Earle as Treasurer, Miss Claudette Thompson as Deputy Treasurer and Mr. Alexis Nisbett as the National Party Organiser.
It is widely believed that Miss Byron will be the PLP candidate for constituency number 3, West Basseterre in the next general elections, constitutionally due in 2020. Observers have taken that position because of recent pronouncements by Dr Harris that his niece is the care taker for the West Basseterre constituency. The losing PLP candidate in the 2015 election Sam Condor last week publicly expressed his opposition and stated unequivocally that Harris will not impose his will on the people he represented in parliament while a member of the Labour Party for 25 years.
Since his election defeat, Condor has been “training” and introducing Samal Duggins to be his replacement in #3.
The former PLP chairman last week posted that Harris is positioning the PLP to replace the People’s Action Movement (PAM) as the second largest political party in the federation of St. Kitts in Nevis. Speculation is that Harris will field a full slate of candidates for his PLP in the next general election.
The Team Unity Government is comprised of the PAM which has the majority of four seats in the national parliament, the CCM of Nevis have two seats and the PLP has one seat.
The opposition St Kitts Nevis Labour Party which was in power for 20 years only picked up three seats in the 2015 elections. It once held all eight seats in St. Kitts, forcing the Nevis representatives to the opposition benches. Labour had 6 six seats when it lost the 2015 general election to Team Unity.