Caribbean News
PM Cuts Ribbon for US$1-Billion Harmony Cove Development
Montego Bay, Jamaica, July 23, 2025 – Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on Tuesday (July 22), cut the ribbon for the US$1-billion Harmony Cove development in Duncans, Trelawny, which promises to be a transformative project for the parish and the wider Jamaica. The large-scale tourism and real estate project, which will span 2,300 acres of land on the northwestern coast of Jamaica, between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios, is a partnership between Nexus Luxury Collection and the Government of Jamaica.
The multi-phase project will include luxury hotels, residential villas, recreational facilities, and entertainment options, including a casino, creating employment for thousands of Jamaicans.
Prime Minister Holness, in his keynote address, described the project as “revoluntionary”, noting that Jamaicans will benefit from the investment.
He noted that the Government’s involvement is rooted in rigorous planning, extensive negotiations and a cautious approach to investment.
“Projects of this size involve many risks – fiscal, environmental, social. Governments must be cautious, not just looking at the numbers but also at the long-term implications,” he pointed out, underscoring the Government’s focus on balancing economic growth with responsible fiscal management. He noted that during the negotiations with Nexus “we stayed the course, understanding the risks and working tirelessly to reach an agreement that protects Jamaica’s interests”.
“We negotiated carefully to ensure that the Government did not give up more than necessary. Jamaicans will benefit significantly from this project, receiving more than what incentives alone would justify,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the project’s benefits extend beyond economic gains to include social and community development.
“This project is for the people – the vendors in Coronation Market, those in Duncans, Stewart Town, Wakefield, Clark’s Town. It’s for all Jamaicans. And yes, the investors will profit, because we believe that profit and public benefit are not mutually exclusive,” he said.
Dr. Holness said the project underscores the Government’s balanced approach to development, which is aimed at fostering investment while safeguarding public resources and creating enduring benefits for all Jamaicans.
The Harmony Cove development is envisioned as a premier resort community designed to attract both international visitors and residents.
The project is part of Jamaica’s broader efforts to boost tourism, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth.
CONTACT: GARWIN DAVIS
JIS REGIONAL OFFICE
Photos: Yhomo Hutchinson
Header: Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (fifth left), cuts the ribbon for the US$1-billion Harmony Cove development project in Duncans, Trelawny on Tuesday (July 22). Among those sharing in the occasion are Chairman of Harmonisation Limited, Jeffrey Hall (left); Member of Parliament for Trelawny Northern, Tova Hamilton (third left); Managing Partner, Nexus Luxury Collection, Christopher Anand (fourth left); Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang (sixth left); Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (fourth right); Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams (third right); Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Hon. Aubyn Hill (second right); Opposition candidate for Trelawny Northern, Dr. Wykeham McNeill (right).
Insert: Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (right), engages in conversation with Managing Partner, Nexus Luxury Collection, Christopher Anand, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Harmony Cove development project in Duncans, Trelawny, on Tuesday (July 22).
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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