Caught red-handed; MP Marcella Liburd calls for resignation of Elections Supervisor Elvin Bailey

Deputy Political Leader of the opposition St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) Hon Marcella Liburd has called for the resignation of Supervisor of Elections, Mr Elvin Bailey after he was caught "red-handed" presiding over an objection hearing in the absence of the persons objecting to names on the Voters' List.

Liburd, the Parliamentary Representative for St Christopher 2 (Central Basseterre) told a public meeting in her constituency of "shenanigans and breaches of the electoral laws taking place in the Electoral Office."

She said efforts are being made to remove 110 names from the Voters' List in Central Basseterre.

Liburd said she arrived a bit late at an objection hearing on Tuesday to find the Supervisor of Elections Mr Elvin Bailey "who ought to be impartial presiding over the hearing."

"That is not his job as there is a registration officer for St Christopher 2," Liburd told the crowd.

"I approached him and said 'Sir, with the greatest respect that is not your job. You have no call here;" related Liburd, who said that Bailey was questioning a person who was being objected to without the presence of the individual making the objection.

"The objector was not present and they were already taking evidence from this young man. This is dead wrong. Here was the Supervisor of Elections. Mr Elvin Bailey telling the young man that he must change his name  and he has six months," said Liburd, a former speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly.

Liburd pointed to the double standard being perpetuated by Mr Bailey, the Attorney General, Sen the Hon. Vincent Byron and the Timothy Harris-led administration.

"I told him that while the government is taking off the names of persons, he should instruct or advise the Attorney General to move his name too as he is registered in Polling Division 6 in Central Basseterre while he lives Camps in West Basseterre (St Christopher 3) for more than one year)," said Liburd, who further pointed out that the attorney general also has ministerial responsibility for the Electoral Office.

Liburd said after she drew the illegality to Mr Bailey he informed the young man that he

'can go because his accuser (person objecting to his name) is not here.'

"The supervisor of elections is playing politics and should step down. He should step down as he was caught red handed. The persons making the objections do not live in the constituency. None of them live there. Bailey is out of order and ought to step down. He should resign."

Bailey who was appointed by Prime Minister Harris is the first cousin of his senior minister and minister of Social Security and Labour. Hon Vance Amory.