BASSETERRE, St Kitts – Dr Terrance M. Drew, political leader of the opposition St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNPL) in a call for an end to divisive politics in St Kitts and Nevis said there is no room for complacency and division in the 90-year-old political organization as the people of St Kitts and Nevis is yearning for change in the country after having to bear the consequences for electing a failed and corrupt regime for the last seven years.
In his New Year’s message aired on Freedom 106.5 FM on Saturday afternoon, Dr Drew officially launched the leadership mandate that was given to him at the SKNLP’s historic leadership elections in November 2021.
He called for unity in the organization to make St Kitts and Nevis the beacon of hope shining throughout the world and gave the assurance that the SKNLP will continue to be the party of compassion, of social justice, of the struggle against poverty and inequality, of liberty, of transparency, of openness, of basic human solidarity and democracy.
Dr Drew challenged the rank and file of the party to unite behind the solemn purpose and mission of the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party motto – “For the Good that We Can Do” “as we work to modernize the Federation and transform it into a place where all the people can participate in the creation of a better society.”
“I challenge you to believe in us as much as we believe in you. I challenge you to give as much to our country as we intend to give to you. If you believe in us as much as we believe in you, I promise you that by the strength of our common endeavor, we will achieve more moving forward together than we can alone,” said Dr Drew.
“As we open this new 365-page chapter in the history of our nation, I challenge each of us to begin with the end in mind by envisioning the role that you intend to play and what you would want history to write about your contribution as we take on the challenges and uncertainties of the year ahead,” said Dr Drew who expressed the view that the SKNLP’s time in the wilderness of opposition has not been easy.
“It would have been so easy to give in to frustration, hopelessness and despair. But our party has remained resolute and unbending through all of our challenges and we have emerged on the other side of our internal transformation stronger and even more dedicated, utterly loyal and fiercely committed to our grand mission. This is the power of purpose and is the power of people,” he said.
“We will have great success because we had the courage to change ourselves, and the discipline to take hard decisions, while remaining united,” said Dr Drew in the powering for purpose to fulfill the people’s mandate requires that the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party lead by example.
“We have always been a party of high ideals and hard choices and, mark my words, we will be a government of high ideals and hard choices. While our areas of focus, approaches and orientation may shift under my leadership, there are no old Labour and new Labour values – there is only Labour values. We will always be the party of compassion, of social justice, of the struggle against poverty and inequality, of liberty, of transparency, of openness, of basic human solidarity and democracy,” he said.
“The day that we cease to be these things is the day that we lose the reason for our existence as a party. These are the values that have shaped our nation for the better part of nine decades and under my leadership, I intend to ensure that the entire machinery of our party and shortly, our government will be brought to bear on entrenching and perpetuating these values both within a new labour administration as well as among our entire society,” said the medical internist Dr Drew who invited all from across the “leadership and rank and file of the SKNLP and indeed from all across the nation, regardless of class, creed or political affiliation to join this great mission and to give to St Kitts and Nevis the gift of “your energy, your ideas, your hopes and your talents.”
“We will all experience purpose, together, as we will build a dynamic and formidable team of professionals and volunteers who will fashion the finest political fighting machine this country will have ever seen. I look forward to engaging all voices as we seek to inspire and motivate one another to lead from wherever we are and to take people-centric, community-focused action that puts every facet of diversity front and center,” said Dr Drew.
He said his “Power for Purpose” is an expansive and inclusive vision that aims to bring all on board as “under my leadership, the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party will become a space in which all talents and ideas are welcome and the best minds can come together in pursuit of the people’s mandate. Together we will take initiative boldly and decisively as we tackle the pressing challenges relating to the financing, operations, communications and relations of our great Party.”
Much he said is to be done including the building of SKNLP headquarters.
“We will build a party where the name ‘comrade’ will garner automatic respect and meaning wherever we go around the world,” said Dr Drew in the message aired on Freedom 106.5 FM.
He promised that as the modernization of the institutional and governance structures of the SKNLP takes place the federation will also modernize.
“To build a truly unified country, not for a few, but for all the people. This will require change and hard choices. But it is my firm belief that our party has seen enough, done enough, and experienced enough to know how to govern better and more boldly. This country will know that labour can make the changes and the hard choices necessary to lift our country and people higher because Labour will show them how and why. This is Powering for Purpose,” said Dr Drew.
