There are several aspects of the existing Constitution that are harmful to the interests of the People of Nevis. It is fundamentally flawed. It is these glaring inadequacies which motivated the Honorable Sir Lee Moore to call for full and complete political independence for the People Of Nevis.
Here is a few gems from the excellence of Sir Lee’s scholarship and vision. In calling for full self-determination for the people of Nevis, Sir Lee L. Moore M.P., Leader of the non-governing Labor Party, noted in his letter to the Honorable Simeon Daniel, leader of the Nevis Reformation Party, on 23rd. November 1982 the following.
“….In sum the Labour Party interprets the results of the General Elections in 1971 and 1975 in Nevis, ……as a clear expression that the people of Nevis and their leaders will accept nothing short of full and complete responsibility for their own affairs. The Labor Party accepts that position. We have therefore proposed …, that St.Kitts and Nevis should each possess equally the right of self-determination, each island being fully autonomous and each island being at liberty to pursue its own independent development…..”
The brilliance of Sir Lee, his clarity of thought, expression and vision is reflected in his concern for the preservation of goodwill, love and friendship between our two great peoples. Born of a concern for the termination of strife, distrust and acrimony, Sir Lee’s letter provides the broad outline of a Friendship Treaty, for the critically important peaceful and harmonious “non-political” relationship that St.Kitts and Nevis must enjoy.
Sir Lee’s prophetic framework for His Friendship Treaty goes on to state the following, and I quote:
“…Specifically, the Labor Party proposes that, …….
(a) The island of St.Kitts and the island of Nevis should each have its own separate Constitution, legislature, government and political system,
(b) To strengthen the bonds of family and friendship between the people of St.Kitts and the people of Nevis, and to give effect to the longstanding relationships and associations between the people of St.Kitts and the people of Nevis, there should be a Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation between the two islands, which will make provision among other things for:
(i) free movement of persons between the two islands without the need for travel documents;
(ii) free trade between the islands;
(iii) free access mutually to all family records and property records
(iv) goods intended for one island landed in the other not be subject to duty or other impost;
(v) establishment of a Joint Commission consisting of representatives of both islands to review the relations between the two islands on an on-going and permanent basis
As we all know, many of the people of St.Kitts and Nevis, are sitting on the Razor’s Edge, and are very much concerned about these very issues that were raised by Sir Lee, and, specifically, their freedom of movement between our two islands. They are concerned about the long standing familial relationships, and need to be assured by this honorable house, that a “political” separation means exactly that, and that alone; and is not to be construed as a “non-political” separation, which it is not.
It is not sufficient to claim that Nevis has its independence clause and can invoke it at any time. It is very much necessary that the people of St.Kitts and Nevis come to understand that the leaders of their governments on both sides of the Narrows have taken deliberate steps to ensure that this “political” separation goes beyond solving the perennial revenue sharing problem that is at its core. But, that it also provides the additional bonus of preserving the full range of “non-political” relationships that include: mutually beneficial trading relationships, freedom of movement and an overall minimal disruption of long-standing “non-political” relationships, as defined by Sir Lee..
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Scanned Copy of Sir Lee's Letter
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04th February 2005 
The Nevis Island Administration is proposing a treaty of friendship if and when an independence referendum is successful in Nevis. This proposed friendship treaty is based on a similar proposal made by the leader of the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party, Sir Lee Moore back in 1982.
