BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 8th May 2020) –The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has collided with the constitutionally due general elections five-year cycle in St.Kitts-Nevis, and to this end as many citizens and residents await to hear the decision regarding expected the 14th May 2020 timeline for parliament to dissolve.
Attorney General Vincent Byron Jr. while addressing the subject matter during the question and answer segment of the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Daily Briefing held on Thursday 30th April 2020 said an election is expected this year but pointed to a court handling should there be reason to extend or to delay or to postpone such.
“We are aware that the Constitution requires that five years after parliament or the sitting of parliament after an election parliament dissolves so that after the first hearing would have been in May 14th 2015 and on May 14th 2020, the parliament automatically dissolves unless His Excellency the Governor General is asked by the honourable Prime Minister to do so. The Prime Minister has the authority under the Constitution to request Parliament to be dissolved.”
He continued: “When parliament is prorogued by the Constitution, there are ninety (90) days by which a general election should be held so that if parliament was to be dissolved automatically no later than May 14th in 2020; 90 days from then may well be something like the 11th of August of this year when there must be a general election under the Constitution.”
Touching on an instance for otherwise, he expressed: “I would not want to get into legal discussion but there may well be common law principles that may be involved or used before a court if there is a need or the necessity to extend or to delay or to postpone an election.”
“At this point in time that is not envisaged and we would hope that we will be able to conduct a general election with the constitutionally mandated frame, and so it is not contemplated that elections should extend beyond the 14th of August this year,” he emphasized.
According to the Attorney General: “Questions of common law, questions of necessity and so forth do not pertain as we are not in that situation at this point in time and we depend on our medical professionals to guide and advise us as to how we will be able to.”