Ambitious St Kitts and Nevis: A Narrative of Leadership and Growth

The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis has been placed on the map. It partakes in global dialogue, it is forming strong partnerships with nations from all continents, and it is becoming a regional leader. Indeed, this year, the country showcased the most powerful passport in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), offering citizens over 150 visa-free and visa-on-arrival destinations. To what can St Kitts and Nevis ascribe this success? Political dynamism and a steadfast commitment to becoming a stronger member of the international community says Mark Brown, a former school teacher in the island of Nevis.

Energy was not always steering political activity in the Federation. For twenty years beginning in 1995, St Kitts and Nevis was led by Dr Denzil Douglas, the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister. His administration saw, among other things, the expansion of the Citizenship by Investment Programme and encouragement of a more diversified economy after the closure of the sugar industry in 2005. Yet by 2015 the country was stagnating, and citizens favoured a bold new Government that could deliver change.

It is in this context that Team Unity, the opposition party led by Dr Timothy Harris, captured the hearts of the electorate and won a landslide victory at the general elections. The party promised rejuvenation and a significant turnaround from the complacency that had characterised the final years of Douglas’ administration.

[caption id="attachment_8984" align="alignnone" width="500"] Timothy Harris.[/caption]

Today, Prime Minister Harris is himself a veteran of St Kitts and Nevis political system. On 11 November, he celebrated 25 years as a St Kitts and Nevis parliamentarian – a journey that began in 1993, when he was elected as a Member of Parliament of Douglas’ Labour Party. He served as Minister of Education, Labour, and Social Security and Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Industry, and Commerce. A decade after his first election, he formed a new party – the People’s Labour Party – which, upon a merger with two other local parties, became Team Unity.

“The country expected tremendous economic and social transformation when Team Unity came to power,” says Brown, “but in many areas there has been sluggishness and reticence to find new and exciting solutions.”

Brown cites the Citizenship by Investment Programme as an example. Under the Douglas administration, he says, the Programme required a US$250,000 contribution to the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF), which used funds to support infrastructure development and training for the Federation’s current and future workforce. Today, the Harris administration has made the SIDF largely redundant, introducing instead the temporary Hurricane Relief Fund (HRF) and the permanent Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF). However, says Brown, the two funds do not differ substantially from the SIDF.

“It is true that there are more applicants for citizenship today than there were in 2015, but one of the main reasons for this is that the donation requirement has been reduced to US$150,000. Therefore, while there may be more persons willing to invest for citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis, total revenue is similar,” he said.

There is also little distinction with respect to the use of these funds. The HRF was specifically devised to help infrastructure reconstruction after the September 2017 hurricane season, while the SGF targets both infrastructure and personal development initiatives for locals. “Substantively these are surface-level changes, notes Brown, “Prime Minister Harris’ citizenship policy seems to be the same as Douglas’.”

In a recent press conference, Denzil Douglas criticised the Government’s management of the Citizenship by Investment Programme, calling the HRF (and its replacement, the SGF) a “slush fund” and accusing Dr Harris of cheapening the Programme. “Under the new SGF, St Kitts and Nevis passports are now being sold like food in a marketplace,” he said. He also warned that the Programme was being advertised in the Middle East for less than the minimum required by law.

“But there is one thing that has seen momentous, positive change since 2015,” highlights Brown. “There has been remarkable achievement with respect to our foreign policy and global standing. St Kitts and Nevis is finally an international player. Headlines are dominated by news of diplomatic ties, visa-free waivers, and high-level discussions with ambassadors and diplomats.”

[caption id="attachment_11217" align="alignnone" width="500"] Minister of Foreign Affairs of St. Kitts and Nevis, Mark Brantley[/caption]

Brown is referring to the work of the St Kitts and Nevis Foreign Ministry, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Brantley. In the past three years, Minister Brantley has negotiated visa waiver agreements with 13 countries and established formal diplomatic relations with 22 countries, thereby paving the way for socio-economic collaboration and closer people-to-people relations.

“Minister Brantley is rejuvenating this nations’ foreign policy and, with his modern touch, obtaining outstanding results. This doesn’t surprise me – he is relatively new to politics, and it takes a fresh approach and enthusiasm to ensure trust is established and maintained.”

So, while St Kitts and Nevis may not have seen exceptional progress in all areas, the furtherance of the nation’s foreign policy goals is a clear point of pride for citizens. “Being a Kittitian, and being a Nevisian, means being an active and respected member of the global community. I can only hope that Minister Brantley’s momentum will continue to dominate his actions, and trickle down to all our Government,” concludes Brown.