Caribbean & Central America - 17 February 2004

At their end-January summit (see above) the leaders of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) took a firm line on the possibility of Nevis seceding from St Kitts & Nevis, saying: 'The Authority views with deep concern the proclaimed intention to have a referendum for Nevis to secede from St Kitts and urges that the matter be re-examined with a view towards preserving the integrity of St Kitts and Nevis.'

The question of Nevis's secession dates as far back as 1921 when a request was made to Britain for a separation. More recently, Nevis's premier Vance Amory began moves towards secession in 1996, holding a referendum in 1998 which just failed to reach the required two-thirds majority (62% voted in favour of secession). Plans to hold another referendum are under way, and in January Amory told Nevisians to begin designing a flag and choosing a national anthem.

The OECS's strong opposition to the break-up of St Kitts and Nevis is backed by the United States. On 16 January, US spokesman Richard Boucher issued a statement saying: 'The government of the United States unequivocally supports the position taken by Caricom heads of government at their July 2003 summit in Montego Bay when they voiced their strong preference for the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis to be preserved as a single nation.'

At a special roundtable meeting in Basseterre on 29 January of business leaders, trade unions' representatives and other interested parties, including representatives of the Nevis Island Administration, Prime Minister Denzil Douglas insisted that the differences with Nevis could be addressed through constitutional reform. He added that not all contentious issues would have to wait for a full constitutional review and that some could be implemented by legislation.

Douglas said: 'Of course there are petty local differences, but I think we need to look further than just what may be the political expediency and see if there is a fundamental problem that the people of Nevis have with the people of St Kitts. We need to make sure that the two sides are able to administer what will be to the benefit of the people of St Kitts and Nevis and not necessarily waiting on constitutional reform to put a number of other legislative actions in place.'