St Kitts and Nevis: Timothy Harris' PLP to contest all eight seats in St Kitts

St Kitts and Nevis: Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris has already announced eight candidates to run in the general election in St Kitts and Nevis from his People's Labour Party. But he is yet to set a date for the election which are due by 7 August 2022.

After People's Action Party and Concerned Citizens Movement legislators filed a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister, Harris was forced to dissolve Parliament on May 10, paving the way for the general election.

Harris scuttled the move by firing the dissidents and indicating that he would announce a date for the polls within the stipulated 90-day period. Churches and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) wrote to Prime Minister Harris earlier this month, pleading with him to set a date for the general election.

As voters in this twin island Federation prepare to pick a new administration, they also urged that a code of conduct should be adopted to ensure that "the society is not plunged into election induced turmoil."

The churches and NGOs cited many points in their June 8 letter to Harris that they want the relevant authorities to examine, including a sensitive pre-election period, electoral neutrality, the delay in announcing the election date, and misuse of office.

"As a result, you have formed a Cabinet with less than one-third (1/3) of the people's elected representatives. While it may be within your constitutional rights as Prime Minister to do so, please remember that we are a people who have explicitly stated in our Constitution that we believe in true democracy, with the people's voice being paramount,".

"As a minority of elected representatives of the people, the acts of your Cabinet of Ministers should be even more sensitive in nature and limited in extent at this moment to comply with constitutionally connected standards."

They stated that "continuing actions in violation of such agreements and fundamental democratic ideals can only undermine our maturing democracy," and urged Harris to maintain democracy in the country.

While the PLP will run for eight seats on St Kitts, the PAM and CCM have declared plans to form their own alliance and run for all eleven seats in the twin island Federation.

St Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP), the main opposition party, has also declared a full slate of eight candidates for the seats in St Kitts.

The sister isle's three seats will be contested by the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP).