Prime Minister Gaston Browne has responded to what he says are statements of provocation coming from St. Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris and his Deputy Shawn Richards.
Voters go to the poll on June 5 to elect a new government in the federation with the Team Unity administration seeking a second term in office.
Browne was responding to a statement made by Shawn Richards who compared the economic stimulus given by his government to the COVID-19 response in Antigua & Barbuda.
Richards told a political meeting “When other countries are saying to workers I can only give you 75 dollars a week, Team Unity has said 1000 dollars a month. When other countries have not been able to respond, because if you go nearby to Antigua today, not one single stimulus package has been put in place in Antigua, we have been able to do that because we have managed this country well.”
The Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister says he won’t respond directly to Richards but said he has heard the remarks not only from Richards but from Harris too.
“I mean I hear for example in St. Kitts they are ridiculing us and at the highest level, at the level of the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. And I don’t know why they want to draw us into their politics,” Browne told his weekly radio show on Pointe FM.
He said he does not get involved in the party politics of other countries.
“I have had a long standing policy of not engaging in the domestic affairs of any country especially when it comes to elections and that is one of the reasons why you don’t see me on any platform in any country,” Browne said.
“So I don’t know why my dear friend, he and his deputy Shawn Richards, why do they continue to draw Antigua and Barbuda into their politics,” the prime minister added.
He said the example given by the leadership of the ruling party in St. Kitts is “unhelpful” and called on the Team Unity Government to campaign on their performance.
“I am not going to respond directly to it. All I’m saying is that type of provocation is unnecessary. What they need to do if they have done so well in St. Kitts and Nevis is to stand on their record and to defend their record.”
Browne said he spoke on telephone today with Dr Denzil Douglas the former Prime Minister who is seeking another term as prime minister.
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There can be no response because the man is telling the truth, as had as it was for Antiguans to hear.
You so right the man is telling the truth, if is wasn’t for the Pandemic we wouldn’t know that our dear PM was lying to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.
The truth always offends.
It is so sad that we, Antiguans, never support our own. We are so politically blinded that we stay ignorant so much that regardless of the efforts made by those in charge, we fail to commend. That is why we are not progressing as a country. We bring our own down too much and too often. If so many know what and who is best for this country, why don’t you run for politics?
I remembered MS.Browne,Education Minister of Antigua.He went to St.Kitts and spoke on the Labor Party platform against the present Administration. He was very lucky.Because the St. Kitts I knew back in the 1960’s.That would not happened.Now they are throwing dung into your faces for what Michael Browne did.Pay back is a beach.You spoke to Denzil Douglas today.Poor little Denzil,little man.
I never like the truth.It hurts soooo much.Why that St.Kitts politician just did not lie.Gaston Browne would have been better receptive to it.
Hey PM, don’t worry about these St. Kitts folks, we support you here in Antigua and that is all that matters. Honestly, St. Kitts is angry because our CIP program is taking away their foreign investment and I think we are attracting higher quality wealthy and well educated citizens for our CIP compared to St. Kitts.
Almost everybody that I talk to says Antigua is a much nicer country than St. Kitts – our people are more friendly, we have better beaches and scenery, we have better economic growth. Even though our crime in Antigua seems to be going up, it is still much less than St. Kitts on a per capita basis.
So PM, don’t fret or worry so much about these jealous St. Kitts folks…just let them say whatever they want to say. Let’s focus on making Antigua great and focus on attracting non-tourism business investment into Antigua.
How is Antigua’s CIP program better if it is being mid managed and abused? St Kitts citizens are enjoying the rewards of theirs, and not just a few benefiting as is the case in Antigua!
Since when it was a full out battle! St Kitts economy is booming!!!
Didn’t want to reply to you because you are a troll. Who else would write such foolishness?
Them lucky VC Bird is not alive and running Antigua because we would have been at the top economically. I wish someday that god will give us a leader like VC Bird so that we can rise to the top once again.
The truth hurts I know it does. Let’s stick to the topic ( this is not about beaches or VC Bird). If what SK says is true. Accept, ask ur self why? Where did u go wrong? take a page, research and see what u can do to make better the future ( for example look at how funds are being terrible mismanaged by ur government), stop living in denial, change and move on.
The truth will set you free, Gaston. But first it will piss you off because it is often hard to accept. SKB are talking truth.
Antigua government should be ashamed of themselves, all they do is lie and thief antigua taxpayers money an enrich themselves…….Still yet some fools in antigua have government before themselves,other countries have all the right to talk about antigua
Which constituency in Antigua will be voting in St. Kitts/Nevis election and what is the relevance of the comment in that context? To each his own, there is such a thing called time.
I am happy for the people and government of St. Kitts/Nevis for hosting of a strong economy. This simply means that you have had a strong foundation. So it’s quite okay to give credit to Dr. Densil Douglas for establishing that you now boast of. We all know that St. Kitts/Nevis was not created just 5 years ago. Therefore, inadvertently Dr. Timothy and his deputy are saying that labour was doing a great job.
I hear you loud and clear. However, dougie days as PM are over and done with. Old, tired Marcella and Konris Maynard the puppet have no leadership potential. Not to mention Mr. Hanley who has a U.S. passport. Dr. Drew is a good guy but is with the wrong party. Kenny Douglas will NOT win in SP. He just can’t beat Shawn.
Dougie is a drowning man clutching at straws.
Where are the CHOIR BOYS today.Tenman,Sidelines and CErmle. Too busy chowing down and drinking red wine.
I see you still busy playing your pied piper role. Clearly feeling you have reason to be bitter hence you must ensure everyone else shares or pays for your bitterness. If you were to give credit you would admit A&B has been good to you and has played a major in who you are today.Showing your disdain is not how we build things and pay back ancestor sacrifice. Anyway the latter did fight for you to have free will, however I doubt they would wish for you to be burning your own house down via your verbal diarrhea . Red wine can help cure not only stomach issues but is also good for the heart. Timothy may need to stock up on some rum because there is a good possibility that the old wildcat Douglas may pull off a victory (Johnson from JA says Douglas wil win while Wickham says Harris)
@Tenman: Are you saying “little nut” Douglas would win this election on June 5,2020.I forgot “Little Nut” is in Federal Prison in Florida.Yes,there is someone who goes by that moniker from St.Kitts.He was a very powerful individual.Until the Feds sent a plane into St.Kitts to pick him up.Guess who was one of his very close friends in St.Kitts.It is your Labour Party leader in St Kitts.I know more than you think I know.Now why you say I am bitter?I enjoy taking pop shots at Gaston Browne.Because if you really listened to him.He could move mountains,hills,the Rock of Gibraltar.In the end the results are all hot air and sweet sounding nothings.I have judged persons based on their performances within the workplace,the end results.Gaston Browne has been in that Office for 6 bloody years and not one damn thing to show.He should be fired along with his Band of Merry Men.
ST.KITTS should stay out of Antigua. Kittians never liked Antiguans. So this is nothing strange . No One should waste Their time on this page.
A since when the moustache so diplomatic.
Lets start with some facts beginning in 2012:
“When the restructuring and debt exchange is completed in mid-April, the country will see its debt-to-gross domestic product fall from about 149 per cent to about 95 per cent, according to White Oak Advisory, St Kitts’ financial adviser. When the restructuring was first announced last summer, the ratio was close to 200 per cent.” see St Kitts and Nevis agrees to restructure debt, Ft.com, MARCH 18 2012
By the end of 2014, SKN debt to gdp was 59.88% see https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/KNA/st-kitts-and-nevis/debt-to-gdp-ratio
Hence when the new administration (Team Unity) came into office in 2015, it had more fiscal space than the ABLP administration in 2014. The ABLP admin met debt to gdp ratio at 104% (this did not include the un-booked debts and obligations like HMB, SembCorp, APC debt..). The current administration has managed to lessen debt to GDP to 69%. Clearly Team Unity got a better hand than the Gaston Browne admin, since former PM Denzil Douglas cleaned up his mess before leaving office. It is well known that the UPP on leaving office left even the IMF debt in arrears. Recall the opposition party leader stating he was busy campaigning hence had no time to deal with debts
@tenman ask your buddies to give the IMF permission to release all the Articles 9 reports so we can see the real fiscal position of Antiguan.
No one want to see ECLAC’s regurgitating what was fed to them for propaganda purposes.
Ruler ask Timothy to have the IMF release all reports “St Kitts PM defends decision not to make IMF report of its opinion public Friday, January 18, 2019” Guy fact is, its government’s call. The UPP in the past at times did not give permission. By the way Ruler, though their opinion is not public, the data is on their website eg GDP increases and public debt data
@tenman I don’t care what st.kitts does, my concern is about Antigua hiding the IMF Reports from Antiguans. I am sure you would agree, this can only leads to speculation that the government is hiding something
And this is why antiguans will forever be garrots… just read the comments.
Who started it all?
Antigua and Barbuda is the fastest growing economy in this hemisphere….
We are the economic power house….
We have the best performing economy in the region only Guyana is better…
So how is it that St Kitts answer the PM has a problem.
No lies was spoken. The truth is never easy to welcome home because it ran away from home for many years and did not bother to make contact.
Are u effing kidding me..? I am assuming all these people talking shit on here did not get laid off from their jobs and have fat paychecks…. but for the rest of us who are regular working folks who could give a rats ass about politics.. we want to know if Antigua and at Kitts for the same amount of money how are kitticians getting stimulus packages of 1000 and we are getting nothing.. I don’t even knkw about this 75 a week this man is talking about.. where is our stimulus packages where is out money to buy food and pay bills?… Whose pocket did this money go into?
The st Kitts PM is a beacon of hope with regards to management of the peoples resources. All the other PM are a waste of time wealth accumulating idiots.
How dare that little island PM talk about Antigua and Barbuda in their petty childish politics. St. Kitts have always tried to catch up Antigua and they have continually failed. Kittitians want to be Antiguans and want our land and the things we have. Antigua has more of everything compared to St. Kitts!
If it wasn’t for the US protecting St. Kitts, they would have been a colony of Antigua just like Barbuda and Redonda!
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Proud Kitty to di Bone!
Don’t get upset just ignore if What my PM is saying is false!
This man is such a Darn liar..I have seen this man on political platforms in Dominica for our Beloved prime minister Roosevelt Skerritt.what he says make no sense..He needs to take a leaf out of our prime minister’s Book.
Someone eluded to the former PM of SKB laid the foundation for the success it is experiencing today. Funny…..for those who oppose, wonder how many would oppose if the same could be said when the now president of the USA is boasting of a vibrant economy and others would say it is a product of the former administration?
I thought Gaston was at dominica election rally promoting labour .. or my memory serves me wrong …
@Sample
Don’t bother with Gaston Browne. Every time he opens mouth lies fall out.
Dr. Harris is the best! I am ashamed of our waste of time peeyem Skerrit, his pet Gaston Browne and the beach in Barbados.
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