BASSETERRE, St.Kitts-Nevis (Friday 10th July 2020)-Chairman of the Opposition St.Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Dr. Terrance Drew is of the opinion that individuals will be shocked by evidence of alleged wrongdoing that took place during the June 2020 general elections.

The first hearing of the six election petitions recently filed at the high court by the party is scheduled to take place on Friday 10th July.

“With respect to what would have taken place also in the last elections, when it came to the irregularities and to the illegalities that would have taken place, I think that people would be shocked and are going to be shocked when they understand what took place in the last elections,” commented Dr. Drew while speaking on the party-sponsored ‘Issues’ programme aired on Wednesday 8th July.

Linked to the issue, he voiced support of opposition parliamentarians’ decision not to attend the opening of the National Assembly held that day as informed via an official SKNLP press statement.

In further addressing such alleged instances of irregularities and to the illegalities, Dr. Drew, party representative for Constituency Eight said: “People saw it for themselves. When people went in to vote and they saw a plastic bin that you can easily see through and recognize that their vote could not be secret, people were appalled, and asked ‘how is this possible?’ When people saw boxes that could not be locked when they know that in the [General Elections] Act that the boxes have to be something that could be locked and the key should be secured with the returning officers and so forth, and realized that all of these things were violated.”

Additionally, he talked about the days of closure at the Electoral Office during the week of election whereby people could not go in to get their cards and verify their names on the voters’ list.

The absence of international observers was also noted by him.

“That is why we are saying as a party, we cannot accept this. This cannot be the norm. So it has nothing to do with just winning an election. It has to do with the preservation of democracy. We have to draw standards as the type of people that who can stand for the elections, and we have to have standards when we conduct our elections and not violate all these acts and statutes that are in place in order to the preserve the integrity of the vote and hence preserve our democracy.”

“I want to ask the people of St.Kitts and Nevis: Is this the type of democracy that we must accept? Is this the type of election that we must accept?, and so this has nothing to do with losing an election or being a sore loser.” Dr. Drew remarked.

The SKNLP official and election candidate, further bashed the conduct of the 2020 general elections and touched on the filing of the election petitions.

“…that is why we are saying in the petitions that all these things will be highlighted and we’re asking the court of course on the decision ….there are much more …in these petitions and Friday is the first hearing and we will of course bring more information to the people in St.Kitts and Nevis but the stance to boycott today I agree with because people need to know all the irregularities and illegalities that took place in the last election, and to have two parliamentarians who would have been found guilty of misappropriation of funds and are going to be sworn in as honourable men and have access to my tax payer’s money, a stance must be taken…”

Dr. Drew indicated that his comments are not a personal attack “but we’re supposed to have some minimal standards in St.Kitts and Nevis and this of course cannot be accepted.”

In a judgement handed down by the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court this week, an appeal regarding a misappropriation of client’s fund matter did not go in favour of the defendants- government ministers Lindsay Grant and Jonel Powell who are both lawyers by profession.