Protest against mounting irregularities outside Electoral Office in St Kitts

The opposition St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) mounted a demonstration outside the St Kitts and Nevis Electoral Office in Basseterre to protest continued irregularities.

The SKNLP leadership and supporters carried placards which read: "The Supervisor of Elections must resign," "Too much politics in the Electoral Office," "Don't silence my vote,"

"Where are the monthly transfer lists," "Too many irregularities in the Electoral Office," "Register Labour People too," "The Supervisor of Elections is a biased hack," and "Over 6 months, machine not working."

SKNLP chairman, Dr Terrance Drew said newly-registered voters cannot get their National Identification Cards.

"Those already registered also cannot get new cards to replaced those that are expired for over 8 months," said Drew, the SKNLP candidate for St Christopher 8.

"To vote your need a government-issued ID Card. Some of our senior citizens who do not have a vaild passport because they no longer travel, or a valid Social Security Card, possess only the National ID cards hence they need it to be presented when they turn up at a voting booth on Election Day," said Dr Drew.

"The Supervisor Mr Elvin Bailey has not been posting the monthly revised list is not posted as they should be . This is a list that declares who is properly registered on a monthly basis. Persons are being told that they can’t transfer their names and are turned back," he said.

He pointed out that on taking office in mid-February 2015, prime minister Dr Timothy Harris illegally closed the Electoral Offices both in St Kitts and in Nevis for six months citing the need for an investigation and to date no report has been presented to the public on the results of the probe.

"Up to this day the country has not seen the report. To preserve our democracy , we must ensure that the electoral office is carrying out its duties," said Dr Drew.

Deputy Political Leader and Parliamentary Representative for St Christopher 2 (Central Basseterre), Hon Marcella Liburd told reporters the SKNLP have written to the Supervisor of Elections, Mr Elvin Bailey and held meetings but their concerns have not been addressed and the constitutional rights of persons are being infringed.

Liburd pointed out that the law requires that the lists are published. She said some 110 names are being removed from the list in Central Basseterre which she represents and over 100 in St Christopher 4.

"We are not supposed to be going there for the list. The law says every month at a certain time, it gives the time too, revised monthly lists must be posted and they are not being posted, which is in breach of the law. As a matter of fact we are having objection hearings and by law the list with the names of persons being objected are to be posted in the various polling divisions, that has not been done. Instead, they went and published people’s names in the newspaper, which is illegal, not even in the format that is required by the law because the law requires a particular format, just printing people’s name in the newspaper for intimidation purposes but not carrying what the law says should be done," said Liburd, a former speaker and speaker of the lawmaking body.

MP Hon Konris Maynard said it is highly questionable for Supervisor Bailey to be telling persons for well over 8 months that a printing machine is not working.

"Printing machines can be purchased immediately. No amount of software is necessary that cannot be made available and put into full use. Why should it take the Team Unity Government over 8 months to be telling persons even today Friday while we are protesting that 'the machine is not working.'