Nevis Premier Reiterates Desire For Independence

by Leroy Baker, for LawandTax-News.com, New York

20 June 2006

Vance Amory, Prime Minister of Nevis, partner of St Kitts in the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis, said in a televised statement last week that independence for his island was still a goal of his government.

Nevis has created separate 'offshore' legislation parallel to Federation legislation, and believes that its economic progress has been due to having greater control over its own affairs.

“I must remind everyone that the journey has not yet ended. If, as a people, we can achieve so much with autonomy, the possibilities after full independence are limitless. Our people are determined and resilient. These are attributes that will enable us to surmount difficulties in our quest for political and economic advancement and independence,” said Amory.

St Kitts and Nevis are islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago. The two volcanic islands, which are renowned for their beautiful mountain scenery, total 261 sq km in area and are separated by a three-km-wide channel called The Narrows; Nevis Peak sits in the center of its almost circular namesake island and its ball shape complements that of its sister island.

The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis finally attained full political independence in 1983 and, in order to relieve the anxiety of Nevisians, Nevis acquired autonomy within the Federation, together with its own Legislature and Cabinet. In 1998, a vote in Nevis on a referendum to separate from Saint Kitts fell short of the two-thirds majority needed.

Nevis's desire for independence is not dead: On January 1st, 2004, Federation Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas proposed Round Table talks with the Cabinets of the Federal Government and the Nevis Island Administration, major social partners and key operatives, to examine the options and ramifications of the posible secession of Nevis from the Federation. However, he said that his preference was for both islands to stay together.

Amory says that his government continues to recognise the need for support of more than 67 per cent of all the people and that he would not make the issue of self determination partisan. “It is not a party political football for anytime be it election time or otherwise. It must be addressed even as we are discussing the issue of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) and free trade issues and it must be done in a calm and objective manner if we are to achieve the objective,” he said.

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