By: Drizel Hanley
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 5th July 2018)- Deputy Leader of the opposition St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP), Hon. Marcella A. Liburd, a lawyer by profession, has placed on record her disgust concerning the alleged high corruption and lawlessness taking place at the Electoral Office here in St. Kitts.
“I come to you today to express my utter disgust and dismay with the miscarriage of justice and the threat to democracy happening at the electoral office and the continued disenfranchisement by that office,” she said while speaking at the Party’s monthly conference held yesterday (4th July) at the Koi Building located at the Airport Road.
To this end, the Labour Party has expressed its intention to pursue both legal and protest action.
Liburd noted that the SKNLP is gathering the necessary evidence to prepare an airtight and complete case before going to court and is confident that the party will present a very strong case based on facts and will be successful in when the matter is brought before the court.
Liburd, who is the Parliamentary Representative for Constituency Two (Central Basseterre), highlighted areas of concerns regarding the operations of the electoral office namely the non-publication of transfers on the monthly lists, the non-publication of the revised monthly list, the removal of persons’ names from the voter’s lists without them being notified, the holding of objection hearings without the Labour Party being notified, the failure or refusal to hear the objections submitted by the Labour Party and persons perceived to be supporters of the SKNLP are been turned down when they visit the office to register.
The SKNLP official publicly condemned the injustices meted out at the Electoral Office and described such behavior as a blatant and naked ploy to steal and control the outcome of the next general election.
“….. We are extremely concerned that the electoral office has become completely corrupted in attempt to determine the outcome of the impending general election in favour of the ruling coalition party,” she stressed.
It was also revealed the present mismanagement of the electoral office is designed to manipulate the voters list based on an intended boundary change that the present government is contemplating.
“This is gerrymandering at the highest order,” Liburd remarked.
She went on to note that the endless illegalities been carried out by the Electoral Office infringes the constitution of St. Christopher and Nevis, the National Assembly Elections Act and various other democratic and human rights put forward by the United Nations Commonwealth and the OAS.