Everyday People in St. Kitts & Nevis Can Form Own Government
Who’s in charge when the rulers are away? What social class should be in charge of society? What popular democratic gathering of forces should answer this question?
Official society’s opinion in St. Kitts & Nevis (SKN), that Caribbean federation of small territories that add up to a little more than 100 square miles and has less than 50,000 people, is that Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew and his government spend too much time abroad. They have been criticized for practically living abroad on the public budget.
Recent absences of PM Drew, accompanied him not declaring an acting prime minister, have stirred discussion. Why no acting leader when Drew is off island on official duties? Is this a practice aimed at ensuring continuity in governance or not? Well, what type of government does SKN live by?
In a departure from tradition, PM Drew has refrained from making such appointments during his last few travels. This departure from established protocol has led to speculation about potential underlying issues or disagreements within the Drew Cabinet.
Some observers suggest that these circumstances might have eroded the PM’s confidence in designating any of his colleagues as acting prime minister. The absence of an acting prime minister raises questions, for some, about the implications for decision-making and authority. It underscores the importance of “transparent” and “consistent” leadership structures.
“Transparency” among the peripheral capitalist states and rulers in the Caribbean who cover up their own power and wealth grabs by talking about national development? Regardless of party or personality, SKN and Caribbean peripheral regimes consistently have nothing but contempt for the capacity of everyday people to govern. Further, the SKN regime like other peripheral Caribbean regimes has been inviting people from abroad to becomes citizens by investing in their country. There appears no major quarrel about this policy above society, even though SKN toilers and unemployed have little rights and privileges in the land of their birth.
The big issue is really not where human beings are born, but will they have the capacity to govern themselves? SKN and Caribbean people’s best instincts are to know equality and fellowship as peers with their neighbors not to live as bought and bossed people.
It is not news to recognize quarrels among Caribbean government bureaucracy where no matter how much they detest each other, they do not identify with the 20–25% of their territory SKN officially acknowledged as living in poverty.
How do SKN commoners survive? They fish, farm, work in tourism. Some also take part in small industry making clothing, shoes, and products from coconuts. Some work in public infrastructure, like the water works. There is also some electronics manufacturing, wholesale distribution of hardware, plumbing supplies, and furniture, and a Carib Brewery where 100 people work. Not to mention the caring work that should be valued among the single mother led and youth families.
SKN commoners, that official society’s media does not speak for, doesn’t see politicians flying around as a special occasion for reflection of lack of stability and cohesion within their government. These rulers perennially are embarrassments to civilization.
When has this regime, under any party or personality, arranged society in such a manner where ordinary people had more direct self-governing power in hand? Where in the name of economic development did their rulers not put elites’ profits and property first?
It serves as a reminder that in a small, federated city-state, society is always poorly arranged where everyday people are assumed unable to directly govern society. Whether aspiring rulers above society are at home or abroad, a genuine discussion of power and authority in SKN, would start with a vision of workplace councils and popular assemblies that redefined political power and authority that allowed those who toiled to hold the rein of government.
Whether in Classical Athens or Precolonial West and Central Africa councils and assemblies of toiling citizens have been the basis of challenging the hierarchy and domination that undermines the power of ordinary people. In the history of St. Kitts and Nevis there is the famous general strike of 1940 that stood up to colonialism. The history of the Caribbean region before and after slavery is distinguished by such independent labor actions. But few are educated about what this says about the potential of the popular democratic forces in small territories.
What is a general strike? A labor action not simply for higher wages or better workplace conditions but that coordinates all workplaces to take over a city or even a country. This is the political heritage official society in SKN doesn’t like to foreground. Not on a mere anniversary for a culture piece in the newspaper or on television. But as a touchstone for cultivating the popular will.
Who in SKN constantly politically educates reminding everyday people of their exceptional power? Those individuals who do so may be obscure but should be respected. They should find a larger community pursuing a Caribbean federation from below. A Caribbean unity that doesn’t invite regional governments to take part.
Colonialism is not merely the white racist denial of Black people’s self-government. It is the denial of popular and direct self-government. “Anti-colonial” history can no longer be allowed to justify people of color who exploit their poorer brethren and sistren ascending to a comfortable life at our expense.
Those who overlord can function so arrogantly they forget the part that has no part in daily political life; instead focused on the blabber mouthing in the State House. It stimulates many to anger that in SKN and the Caribbean we can be governed by “labour parties” who talk development but actually live by eugenics — the belief that commoners are culturally unfit to govern.
The key issue is not that PM Drew travels around. What politics is he coordinating or advancing? PM Drew recently addressed the UN about the need for universal healthcare. The substance of what he projected will soon be forgotten for his vision apparently didn’t touch a hair on the head of global capitalism. He currently presides over a “labour party” that has no genuine affinity for the unemployed and working families. If this affinity was clear, there would be no dispute who was in charge, who has the capacity, when he was away. That is a concern of those who live by a nation-state, republic, or elite representative government.
SKN recently celebrated its “independence.” Mark Brantley, leader of Nevis and opposition leader in the common parliament, gave a speech on its 40th anniversary. He had the good sense to call SKN “a self-reliant people” but couldn’t help himself in referring still to “His Majesty’s” government. These conflicted sentiments could never be held among the most conscious people in this federated Caribbean city-state. The SKN and Caribbean political class clearly does not know the meaning of independence. Further, they live by perennially slipping on the banana peel when addressing the public, revealing their confusion and actual loyalties.
The toilers and commoners of St Kitts & Nevis can start to have conversations while their politicians fly away. Not about a coup, but direct majority rule. Not through elections of elites and the old party politics, but in their workplaces and neighborhoods. Kittians and Nevisians can work to rule and take direct action, it is in their historical tradition, to make the quarrels and silly ideas among the rulers above their federated city-state seem irrelevant to political life. Aspiring rulers should always be “away.” They should be discarded. Not simply so politicians and parties don’t abuse the public budget. But so the democratic majority can directly arrive on our own authority.
