By: Spokesman Newsroom
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Wednesday 3rd August 2022) — SKNLP Leader Dr. Terrance Drew has revealed that for the June 2020 general elections, PM Dr. Timothy Harris “disinvited” overseas observers from coming in, and also issued a late notice invite this time around. Speaking at a campaign rally in Cayon on Tuesday 2nd August 2022, he stated: “Today I learnt that Timothy Harris only sent the invitation to the OAS on the 26th of July — late notice — and I believe in my heart that his objective was to say the notice was late to send a full team. But I want to say that they’re here and they are ready to carry out their mission.”
“Timothy Harris must not be allowed to steal the elections. PAM is also culpable because in 2020, Timothy Harris and PAM came together to lock out the people from coming in to vote and they also locked out those who were to come in and observe the elections. I learnt today that the OAS was disinvited by Timothy Harris in 2020. Timothy Harris had really planned to conduct the elections without observers — wanted to steal the elections from you the people of St. Kitts and Nevis. He said he is a ruler and not a leader; he has dictatorial tendencies, and that is why he wanted to conduct an election without observers,” Dr. Drew stated.
On June 5, 2020, the day of the general elections, OAS Secretary-General His Excellency Luis Almagro expressed regret that the OAS was not in St Kitts and Nevis to monitor the elections, reconfirming that the invitation was withdrawn by PM Harris. His tweet read: “The OAS has observed elections in the country since 2010. Regrettably the government withdrew the invitation to observe this time, though the OAS team was COVID-19 free and ready to deploy.” The Commonwealth Secretary-General Baroness Scotland also regretted PM Harris’s decision to impose a 14-day quarantine requirement on a Commonwealth Observer Team that made it impossible to send an observer mission. Dr. Drew said he held discussions with the OAS Observer Team, led by former Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding, and also planned meetings with CARICOM observers.