“We Govern by Principle, Not Politics” Says Prime Minister Drew 

Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 20, 2025 (PMO) — Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew has reaffirmed his administration’s deep and demonstrable commitment to good governance, fairness, and respect for public office during his statement in the National Assembly on Friday, October 17, 2025.

Speaking as the Minister with responsibility for Finance, National Security, Citizenship and Immigration, Health and Human Resource Management, and Social Security, Prime Minister Drew delivered a firm defence of his government’s approach to governance, one that prioritizes principle over politics, and fairness over favoritism.

In his address, Dr. Drew stated that his administration has ensured that former Prime Minister and Member for St. Christopher Seven, Dr. Timothy Harris, is being treated with the courtesies befitting a former head of government. These courtesies include the provision of a state-assigned security officer and driver, duty-free concessions, and eligibility for a diplomatic passport.

“I said to them, my strong recommendation is he must be provided with a driver and security,” the Prime Minister told the Parliament. “These are the facts. I left him with a vehicle. I left him with a security. I left him with a driver. Those are the facts.”

Dr. Drew made it clear that these actions are not gestures of political goodwill, but of governance integrity. They represent a deliberate break from past practices of discrimination and political spite that undermined the dignity of former leaders and eroded public trust.

“The third Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the member from number seven, irrespective of the fact that he’s on the opposite side, has nothing to do with it,” Dr. Drew continued. “He must be provided with a driver and security.”

In drawing this distinction, the Prime Minister referenced the unjust treatment endured by the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, now Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, following his demitting of office in 2015.

“The second Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Doctor Denzil Douglas, who is a member of my Cabinet when he was no longer the Prime Minister in 2015, and these are facts, he was not given neither vehicle nor driver,” Dr. Drew stated. “Additionally, I went further to give a transition and offered duty free, Madam Speaker, duty free to all former prime ministers, including the third Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the spirit of good governance. The second prime minister, the right Hon. Dr Denzil Douglas, was denied his duty, but I said, I will not continue in that vein, because I’ve learned a principle in life: Do not adopt the principles of those who oppose because while you might be different to them in person, you are not different to them in essence.”

Prime Minister Drew also revealed that, under the former administration, Dr. Douglas had even been denied a diplomatic passport, a basic courtesy extended to former heads of government and serving parliamentarians worldwide.

“The right honorable Doctor Denzil Douglas, the longest serving Prime Minister, member from number six, was denied a diplomatic passport of this country, denied a diplomatic passport,” Dr. Drew stated passionately. “He was a member of Parliament and the former Prime Minister, irrespective of how you feel personally. If we believe in good governance, how can such a man who contributed so significantly to this country and continues as an MP be denied his diplomatic passport?”

In stark contrast, Dr. Drew emphasized that no such discrimination exists under his leadership. “None of them have been denied any diplomatic passport, whether they choose to apply for it, it is there. They have a choice,” he confirmed.

The Prime Minister’s declaration of equal treatment for former leaders, regardless of political affiliation, was framed within a broader reaffirmation of his government’s Good Governance Agenda,  an ongoing effort to restore civility, accountability, and respect across all arms of the state.

He underscored that his government’s approach is not driven by personality or partisanship, but by principle: “The member from number seven has a driver who is also security, who is paid by the state of this country. He’s afforded the respect as a former prime minister under our ambit of good governance.”

Dr. Drew concluded by affirming that the continued protection of democratic values and institutional respect will remain central to his administration’s mission: “The good governance agenda is on its way, because if the former prime minister from number seven can have a security, a driver, duty free and no denial of a diplomatic passport, it says that the agenda is well on its way.”

The Prime Minister’s remarks were widely viewed as a moment of statesmanship, signaling not only his government’s maturity but also its moral authority. By choosing to extend respect where others once withheld it, Dr. Drew demonstrated that the new era of governance in St. Kitts and Nevis is one defined by fairness, decency, and continuity of dignity, regardless of political differences.