BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (May 2022) — “The bold and open display of corrupt behaviour where persons are brought in to register by the scores and are lining up to be paid following their registration, all in plain sight of observers and within the vicinity of the Electoral Office.” This is one of seven areas of concerns raised by the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party in a press statement on ‘Electoral Office Matters’ issued 16th May 2022. On Friday 13th May, this media house observed individuals gathered outside and within the area of the Electoral Office on Central Street in Basseterre shortly after 6:00PM as the office appeared to be opened beyond its usual working hours.
The full list of seven concerns raised by the SKNLP: (i) The discriminatory way in which the Electoral Office refuses to print National ID cards for select persons registered to vote; (ii) The intimidation and discourteous treatment of citizens standing in line to register by unauthorised figures dispatched by members of the PLP; (iii) Evidence of illegal transfers of names on the voter’s list to areas where voters are not resident; (iv) Persons being brought in to register by the scores and lining up to be paid following their registration, all in plain sight of observers; (v) The operation of the Electoral Office well after working hours when certain well-known gangsters are seen registering unknown persons and collecting batches of ID cards from the office; (vi) The non-publication of the monthly lists depicting the names of new voters registered and names of those transferred; (vii) The non-publication of the Report of the objections process that took place in March 2022.
The SKNLP is calling on Supervisor of Elections Elvin Bailey, Attorney General Vincent Byron and the Electoral Commission “to ensure that the business of the Electoral Office is conducted in accordance with the principles of impartiality and fairness and in full compliance with the laws and procedures of St. Kitts and Nevis. Democracy is a fragile treasure that every citizen must value and demand that it be respected and preserved.”