New CCM Candidate Could be Selected by Month End

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Published on Saturday, 16 June 2012 18:59

Written by Jacque Bryan

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Charlestown, Nevis: A new candidate for the St. Pauls district in Nevis could be announced in a matter of weeks according to the leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) party.

The party’s former representative for the area, Michael Perkins, announced recently that he did not want to be considered as the candidate for that area in the next local elections.

WINN asked the CCM Leader, Vance Amory, on Saturday how the party would select another candidate.  He explained that what happened next was that the constituency group for St. Pauls would have to meet, discuss and recommend a replacement.  “….there was a time when the executive would get somebody and impose somebody….those days are over.  I think we now have to look at the bottom-up approach where from the group there’s a recommendation – this is the person whom we would like to see represent us and this is the person with whom we will work and for whom we will work….to get the person elected so that we can have a representative who will look after our interests so that is what will happen,” said the CCM Leader.

When asked what the timelines were, he replied, “Well we want to have that done as quickly as possible and….I would think within the next week, two weeks we should have something finalized.”

Mr. Perkins had been on the Concerned Citizens Movement slate of candidates for just over 10 years.  In 2000 Mr. Perkins was appointed as an Opposition Senator to the National Assembly and was launched as a candidate the following year to contest the seat for St. Paul's.  He served one term as the constituency representative for St. Paul’s and as a Minister of Communications, Works, Public Utilities, Posts, Physical Planning and the Environment.  He said that the reasons for his decision to step down were mostly personal.  

Mr. Amory described Mr. Perkins as someone who was dedicated to the cause of Nevis and to serving the people of Nevis “And that is what stands out most in my mind and in my understanding of him.”  

Mr. Amory said that he wanted to let the people of St. Kitts and Nevis know that while Mr. Perkins served as a member of the Nevis Island Assembly and the Federal Parliament in St. Kitts that he was “one of those very insightful debaters”.  He continued by saying, “….he did his research, he came in and he spoke on any matter which was before the Assembly and in a way which would benefit the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and I think this is important.  Sometimes we get debates….about personal feelings and personal influences, but Perkins’ main objective as a politician was to serve the people of the country and I think that marks him as something special.”

Michael Perkins announced his resignation in a statement live on the “On the Mark” Program on Wednesday 6, June 2012.

Related story:

Michael Perkins Steps Down as CCM Candidate

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