Caribbean News Now!

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis (NIA) -- Premier of Nevis Vance Amory said his administration would be one of inclusion and cooperation in the interest of Nevis.

Amory was at the time responding to questions from the media, moments after he received his Instruments of Appointment and had taken his oaths of allegiance and secrecy on Wednesday, in a brief ceremony at the high court in Charlestown.

Premier of Nevis Vance Amory

“I think we ought to be a party and an administration of inclusion and we also need to be cooperative and collaborative wherever it is necessary for the good of the country,” he said.

Notwithstanding, Amory said his administration would also reach out to the federal government on matters of common ground.

“We will always reach out. If there are issues on which we can have common ground, I think it is important that we discuss those issues across the waters with the federal government. We have had our issues with them. I think they were justified and I think we have articulated our position very carefully and clearly and decisively.

“We also will discuss with the prime minister and the Labour government and the members across the waters, how St Kitts and Nevis can work collaboratively, cooperatively to make the federation a better place for all of us to live. So we will be reaching out,” he said.

Meantime, the new premier noted that, once one was elected to serve in government, they became the people’s representative and should conduct themselves as such.

“When one becomes a people’s representative even if one does have a difference of opinion, it does not mean that one cannot offer constructive criticism if you want to call it that or make suggestions for the way things should be… I think we are the people’s representative and all of us in the Assembly however we are labelled in terms of our party or independence whatever it is, we are the people’s representatives and whatever we propose in that House must be for the benefit of the people.

“If it is not for the benefit of the people then we have failed. We cannot put the party above the people’s business. The party has its views; the party has its policies but those policies must be for the benefit of the people and so I have done all my life in politics. It doesn’t really matter where I am; my thing is to represent the people and to make sure that they know they are getting good representation from myself,” he said.

Amory, along with members of his new Cabinet, are scheduled to be sworn in at an inauguration and thanksgiving service on Saturday.

Reads: 2044


Tweet