St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The June 5 Federal Poll is receiving another stamp of approval. The Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) Coalition, comprising the Christian Council, the Evangelical Association and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, described election day in St. Kitts and Nevis as “free, fair and reflecting the will of the people”.
The NGO report supports that of the three-man CARICOM Observer Mission that described the June poll as “free, fair and very transparent”.
The three-party coalition Team Unity, comprising the Concerned Citizens Movement (3), the Peoples Labour Party (2) and the People’s Action Movement (4) won 9 of the 11 parliamentary seats in that contest. The other two seats were won by the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP).
The Observer Mission offered 18 recommendations for future elections including:
Electoral reform to make the counting of ballots less time consuming by having a preliminary count at the place of the poll; greater use of technology for the vote and the count; identifying polling stations at least a month before polling day, comprehensive ongoing public education by the Electoral Commission/Supervisor of Elections and that consideration be given to have a fixed election date.
The Opposition SKNLP has not conceded the election, describing it as being hijacked, in large measure, by irregularities and anomalies.
PAM’s Candidate Ian Liburd claims he won Constituency #1, which had 98 rejected ballots and 6 spoiled ballots, but the SKNLP’s Geoffrey Hanley was declared the winner by 24 votes.
