Astaphan rips Harris Gov't; says “not one penny” for parliamentarians until good governance

Former St Kitts and Nevis government minister Dwyer Astaphan said Tuesday ministers of government and parliamentarians must not receive a penny more until the good governance agenda is operationalised.

Astaphan is not against the establishment of a Salaries Review Commission which the Timothy Harris Unity Government (THUG) has not informed the public of, but is of the view that the government ministers’ self-interest agenda must not continue to be their priority.

He wants the public get hold of the IMF Article IV Consultation report, outstanding  accounts and actuarial reports on Social Security and the environmental impact assessment on the proposed new Basseterre High School.

“The people of the country should not wait any longer to get the good governance agenda up and running. We must demand it now without any further delay and before we can and give our blessing to ministers and parliamentarians getting any increase,” he told listeners to his weekly radio programme “The Operation Room” on Winnfm.

“They must not get a penny more until they operationalise the good governance legislation. Principally the Integrity in Public Life legislation, the Freedom of Information legislation and the Procurements and Contracts Administration Act. They must not get a penny more until they have an independent investigation into Citizenship By Investment Programme. The practices we have been hearing about recently – because that has not been brought to the public – and we have a right to know,” said Astaphan.

“They must not get a penny more until we get a full and thorough report of the roof programme because things happened in that programme; a full and thorough report on the STEP programme. They must get a penny more until they publish the accounts for the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) and accounts and actuarial reports of St Christopher and Nevis Social Security or the Article IV Consultation on St Kitts and Nevis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). They must not get a penny more,” said Astaphan.

He said the Timothy Harris Unity Government must also fix the health problems at the J N France Hospital and the healthcare system.

Astaphan, who helped to create the Team Unity coalition administration is now a severe critic of the unity government now into the fourth year of its first five-year term.

According to the former government minister, the Harris-led government must also raise the pay and improve the conditions of work of the police, defence force and other national security and responder agencies.

He is also of the firm view that ministers and parliamentarians must “not get a penny more” unless the Team Unity Government publishes the environmental impact assessment for the proposed new Basseterre High School which Dr Harris wants to build on the Basseterre aquifer