Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS): With much talk about former West Indian British colonies removing the British monarch as the head of state with the objective of advancing the process of full decolonization or independence, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance said that the people are the ones who will decide if it is time to do so or do so at all.
“I don’t have a timeline. As we said to them the people will be asked this question and I think the people will provide the answer as well and so I cannot give a timeline,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew said. “But, I think I would be able to say that during this time the people would be asked to discuss this. It’s critical.”
“I mean, we have gone from slavery all the way up to this point and the question of where do we go as a nation will always be asked and it is being asked. However, in pursuing that the people would decide if that is what they want to pursue,” the prime minister added.
He said that even if St. Kitts and Nevis were to go the way of becoming a republic, the significant relationships will remain.
“St. Kitts and Nevis will still remain a member of the Commonwealth and will still be a developmental partner with the UK (United Kingdom) and we will still have the opportunity to strengthen our bonds with the UK, so they are two different things really,” he said. “One doesn’t directly influence the other. One is not exclusive of the other, and so if our people decide to pursue this path this has really nothing to do with our bonds with the Commonwealth or our bonds with the UK.”
Prime Minister Dr. Drew spoke to the common principles shared between both jurisdictions, St. Kitts and Nevis and the UK, and of the many nationals who live and work in the UK.
“There are a lot of principles that join us together—principles of democracy and so forth…development, principles of protecting the earth and renewable energy. Our past history, the fact that we have so many of our people living in the UK, working in the UK, that’s a special bond and that will never really be broken,” he said.
“I will actually pursue to strengthen that bond, which is a separate question, of course, to who is head of state,” the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis said.