Now in opposition, Dr Harris and several long-time allies have mounted a loud campaign against the government’s current development palns. Many observers note that these figures remain closely financially aligned with Harris, raising questions about the motives behind their sudden activism.
Their prime target is the new Special Sustainability Zone (SSZ) initiative introduced by PM Dr. Drew’s administration. In essence, Harris and his allies are portraying the Special Sustainability Zone as an existential threat, a giveaway of land and authority to foreigners that will undermine sovereignty, create exclusive “private cities,” and enrich outsiders at locals’ expense.
However, the reality is far different from the narrative they are pushing. The initiative is widely viewed as a landmark move by Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew to empower citizens. Through this initiative, citizens of St Kitts and Nevis in different constituencies have finally received legal ownership of the lands they have lived on for years, turning uncertainty into security and dignity.
It’s a fear-mongering narrative, and coming from this crowd, the hypocrisy is palpable. These are the same individuals who, during their years in power, failed to empower locals or safeguard the public purse. Their sudden concern for transparency and national patrimony rings hollow, given that under Dr. Harris’s rule the country endured backroom deals, cronyism, and squandered development opportunities.
For seven long years under former PM Dr. Harris and his Team Unity (2015–2022), St. Kitts and Nevis stagnated. Not a single transformative project reached successful completion during that period. Instead, the Harris administration became synonymous with nepotism, corruption, and squandered opportunities. Public reports circulating before the 2020 election painted a damning picture: Dr. Harris allegedly packed top jobs with his close family, funneled public funds to politically connected lawyers, and looted the national treasury with impunity.
The “accomplishments” of Team Unity’s tenure read like an anti-manifesto from Five Years of Nepotism to Five Years of Corruption exposing how government resources were diverted for personal and political gain. There were even scandals of officials accused of misconduct and dubious payoffs to criminal gangs under the guise of a “peace initiative”.
While public infrastructure decayed and the economy drifted, the Team Unity leadership offered only excuses. A glaring example was the new Basseterre High School, a vital project that became a monument to inaction. Despite promises since 2015 to replace the old, uninhabitable campus, the Harris administration left office with no new school built, only plans on paper and an empty lot. It took a change of government for this “talking point for over ten years” to finally see action. By mid-2025, the new Labour government had broken ground on a state-of-the-art Basseterre High, ending a decade of limbo that spanned two generations of students. The contrast could not be clearer: Team Unity’s era was one of stagnation, no development, no vision, and a country left on the ICU bed due to mismanagement.
The Overseas Critics and Their Hidden Insecurities
A growing portion of the criticism toward the SSZ initiative isn’t coming from people who live and work in St. Kitts and Nevis, it’s coming from nationals living abroad, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Many of these individuals, despite having long left the island, now use social media to discredit every move made by the government. Their opposition seems less about policy and more about pride. Deep down, they fear that if the island develops, if modern infrastructure, international investments, and high-paying jobs become the new reality, then those living at home will finally enjoy the same standard of living they boast about overseas. For years, they have seen themselves as “more advanced,” measuring success by distance from home. The thought of St. Kitts and Nevis standing on equal economic footing unsettles them. Their criticism is not patriotism; it’s anxiety over equality—a resistance to seeing their homeland rise to the same level of opportunity they once left in search of.
The Reality: SSZ as a Path to Investment and Jobs
Despite the opposition’s inflammatory rhetoric, the Special Sustainability Zone initiative is in truth a forward-thinking strategy to jumpstart large-scale investment, the kind of economic stimulus Team Unity never delivered. PM Dr. Drew and his administration have been clear that the SSZ framework is designed to attract transformative projects while safeguarding national interests. Far from being a rogue idea, such special zones are a proven development tool in many developed countries.
As Dr. Drew noted, “Similar zones exist in Panama, the US, Europe and other countries to attract investment and promote economic growth,” there’s nothing strange or nefarious about it.
The SSZ Act establishes an accountable legal framework for vetting and approving big investments, not a blank check to “sell off land.” In fact, the government retains oversight on critical matters (security, immigration, etc.), and the Act explicitly respects the constitutional land rights of Nevis’s local government.
Dr. Drew has emphasized that he “will keep out” of Nevis’s lands; the federal government isn’t about to trample the island’s autonomy. More importantly, early results from the SSZ approach show enormous promise for ordinary citizens, the very people Harris’s camp claims will be left behind. One flagship project launched under the SSZ is the “Destiny” development on Nevis’s undeveloped south coast. Destiny, unveiled in October 2025, is one of the most ambitious sustainable developments in Caribbean history. This multi-billion-dollar investment will transform southern Nevis into a world-class, family-oriented community, creating thousands of jobs for locals while protecting the environment.
In stark contrast to the opposition’s “sell-out” narrative, the Destiny SSZ project is structured to directly benefit the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. It includes a “locals first” hiring policy and unprecedented revenue-sharing: a dedicated 20% profit share for the Nevis Island Administration and even a first-of-its-kind scheme to distribute 5% of the development’s profits directly to ordinary Nevisians via a sovereign fund and citizen payouts. Additionally, the Destiny investors are committing US $50 million to upgrade local infrastructure like the island’s main hospital and health centers.
This is real, tangible nation-building, new healthcare facilities, scholarships for students, and livelihoods for families, all arising from a partnership framework championed by Dr. Drew’s government. Such benefits were unheard of during Team Unity’s reign. Harris and his circle never delivered a development initiative remotely approaching this scale or inclusivity. It is therefore telling that they now scramble to tear down a program that is finally injecting life into the economy. The Special Sustainability Zone is not a “state within a state,” but a state-of-the-art development model balancing foreign investment with local empowerment. By insisting on local equity, community input, and environmental stewardship, the Labour administration is ensuring that large projects serve the national interest, exactly the opposite of “selling out our people,” despite what Harris’s alarmist slogans claim.
Seven Years of Power: Zero Development
In the seven years that the former Team Unity administration held office, the country witnessed the slowest era of national progress in recent history. Despite having unprecedented access to public revenue and international attention, not a single major development project was completed during their time in power. There was no new port, no hospital upgrade, no major tourism investment, no land distribution initiative, and no social infrastructure expansion. The leadership repeatedly promised transformation, yet delivered nothing tangible to the people. Instead of development, the nation was left with a legacy of stagnation and mismanagement.
What should have been a period of national growth became a period of economic decline. Public institutions weakened, confidence collapsed, and the country was left on financial life support. Time and opportunity were wasted, while citizens were forced to watch an administration that focused more on political power and personal gain than on building anything of lasting benefit. The result was a country pushed to the edge and stripped of momentum, leaving citizens to carry the weight of years of neglect.
A Different Outcome Under Labour
Since returning to office, the Labour Government has reversed that trajectory. In just three years, visible improvements are underway. One of the most significant steps forward has been the return of land ownership to ordinary citizens. Families who had lived on insecure holdings for decades are now receiving their legal land titles, giving them dignity, security, and the ability to build generational wealth.
Beyond land ownership, national development has restarted. The introduction of the Special Sustainability Zones has created a clear path for large-scale investments that can reshape tourism, employment, and infrastructure. The healthcare sector, which was neglected and left to decline, is being modernised and strengthened. The country is no longer in crisis; it is rebuilding.
From ICU to Recovery
The difference today is not political storytelling — it is visible reality. The former administration left the nation in freefall; the current administration has stabilised it and restarted development. What was once a country on the edge is now a country rebuilding its capacity and restoring its long-term growth path.
The loud criticism now being pushed by Dr Harris and his aligned voices is not driven by national interest — it is driven by the need to distract from an empty record of governance. The people of St Kitts and Nevis are not mistaken; they see the contrast clearly. Under Team Unity, nothing was built. Under Labour, development has resumed and citizens are finally benefitting.
Progress is no longer being promised — it is being delivered.