The main opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM) of St. Kitts and Nevis has thrown its support behind the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) in Nevis over what it alleges to be "corruption of the electoral process” ahead of the July 11 poll.
In a statement, PAM said it is also condemning the “direct involvement of the St Kitts Labour Party in the democratic process” in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) poll.
“Never in the history of these two islands has any government in St Kitts, aided and abetted by the Supervisor of Elections, corrupted the electoral process in Nevis with the aim of achieving a particular outcome for their own benefit.
“The Peoples Action Movement, having experienced its own share of electoral gerrymandering, is none the less disgusted with the extremes to which those interested in corrupting the electoral system will go to accomplish their sinister political objectives. PAM is convinced that the final outcome will be the loss of administrative autonomy guaranteed to Nevis in the Federal Constitution,” the statement continued.
PAM added that it would call forn the Governor General to seek the resignation of the Supervisor of Elections and that all non- governmental, especially the Bar Association, “are encouraged to become actively involved in the review and rewriting of our electoral laws such that future elections can be considered democratic, free and fair”.
On Tuesday night, Premier Joseph Parry said efforts by the CCM to file an injunction to halt the July 11 elections were nothing more than “a desperate attempt to escape from a political hiding”.
The CCM said at least 300 voters have been removed from the official list ahead of the election and the situation “is deeply concerning because we all understand in the Caribbean context how our people would have fought for a long time for adult suffrage”.
All ready for the polls – Supervisor of Elections
In the meantime, Benjamin Leroy, the Supervisor of Elections, says everything is in place for Monday’s Nevis Island Administration election despite the Opposition’s claims that the names of at least 300 people had been taken off the official voters list.
“We are right on track, I think I would even say we might even be ahead of time, so everything is ready for Monday,” he said.
The eight-member NIA is completed with three appointed members.
Leroy would not comment on the allegations made by the CCM regarding the voters’ list saying only it is an accurate representation of the voters who are being registered on the island. At least 7,000 people are eligible to vote.
“Our elections are going to be done according to the laws the country. We cannot introduce anything of ourselves, the electoral process is based on what the laws and regulations is,” he said adding that he voters list issue “is something that is before the courts and I don’t want to have anything to say about that”.
The Organization of American States (OAS) is sending a five-member team headed by Paul Spencer, an Advisor to the OAS Secretary General from Antigua and Barbuda.
The OAS mission will cover all of the constituencies and polling centers in Nevis. It will also meet with representatives of political parties and government officials prior to observing the polls. At the end of the mission, a report will be presented before the Organization’s Permanent Council.
The election is a straight fight between the CCM and the ruling Nevis reform Party (NRF).
In the last NIA elections, the NRP won three of the five seats with the CCM the other two.
[Source: CMC]
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