Douglas questions purpose of St Kitts-Nevis Hurricane Relief Fund

Last updated: September 26, 2017 at 17:30 pm

The leader of the opposition in St Kitts and Nevis has said that the government’s Hurricane Relief Fund is a smokescreen to raise money for prime minister’s re-election campaign.

And Denzil Douglas, speaking on his regular radio show, warned people who have been invited to donate to be "very careful" as there has been no legislative support to run alongside the fund.

Major changes to the federation’s Citizenship by Investment Programme were announced on Friday, halving the amount of money applicants have to contribute for the passport.

A portion of the new $150,000 plus option will go to the newly created Hurricane Relief Fund, which according to the government intends to better position the state to help with disaster relief efforts.

This temporary measure will be in place until March 2018. It has not been made clear how much of the contribution will go into the Hurricane Relief Fund.

Since the announcement, both sides have traded barbs.

Addressing the issue on air this morning, the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party leader said that people have expressed concerns to him that this money will be used to fund the next election, and that the prime minister has “turned this fund into a slush fund in order to facilitate him – and his cronies – to get back into office.”

But people in the country are too wise to fall for this, Douglas believes.

“This is a very serious development. It has not been, in any way, supported by any legislative amendment, or regulation or resolution in our parliament. This is a totally Harris-orchestrated attempt to find money for election campaigning.”

Speaking on Friday after his cabinet discussed the Hurricane Relief Fund, the prime minister said: “The government of St Kitts and Nevis would like to be in a position to provide assistance to its citizens and to make funds available for a speedy recovery to the economy.

“It is therefore being recommended that a new fund, the Hurricane Relief Fund, be established under the Citizenship by Investment Programme to provide such relief.”