Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

PAM Leader - Mr. Lindsay Grant

Basseterre, St.Kitts - Nevis
People’s Action Movement
March 02, 2010

The clarion call for a proper overhaul of the electoral system by the People’s Action Movement and its Leader Lindsay Grant involving a complete enumeration and re-registration of voters has now been echoed by Premier Joseph Parry, as well as Opposition Leader Mark Brantley.

In an interview with WINN FM’s Toni Frederick, Premier Parry indicated that he was in full support of the Commonwealth Report’s recommendation of a fresh enumeration and voter re-registration.

“I think it is a fantastic idea and I am very supportive of it. Let me say I did not realize that (complete enumeration and re-registration of voters) was recommended but I have no objection because all kinds of persons have gotten their way on to our list here in Nevis. We need to clean it up, we definitely need to clean it up,” said Premier Parry

This recommendation by the Commonwealth report mirrors that of the People’s Action Movement who has been advocating discarding the voters list with a view of starting anew with a complete enumeration and re-registration process.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Brantley also supported the Commonwealth’s and People’s Action Movement’s Leader Lindsay Grants long voiced recommendation that an enumeration and re-registration is paramount for the basis of an efficient, free and fair electoral process.

“I feel we can now with some deliberate speed set about a complete re-registration, a complete enumeration process. Let us go into the neighborhoods and the communities and find people and register them right then and there. I feel that that is the only logical way. the mere fact that we are having this level of debate and on a “reformed” electoral system tells us that the reform was an abysmal failure whatever its intentions might have been it has failed and with those circumstances we must now go back and ensure we do a complete new exercise,” said St. Kitts-Nevis Opposition Leader Mark Brantley.

People’s Action Movement Leader Lindsay Grant further reiterated and emphasized his party’s displeasure with the current electoral system.

“There ought never to have been a reconfirmation system. We should have had an entire system where you have everybody registering anew. That is what was required in the system, said People’s Action Movement Leader Grant.

The Commonwealth Expert Team presented numerous recommendations in their official and final February 19 Report after observing the electoral process here in our Federation. The enumeration of voters in St. Kitts-Nevis was the most significant and controversial issue raised by the Report.

In short, their conclusion: a total and mandatory re-registration of the electoral system. This is a vindication of the People’s Action Movement’s primary position on Electoral Reform. The people of St. Kitts and Nevis are bestowed with the constitutionally enshrined right to free, fair and free from fear elections. It stands to reason that this can only be achieved with a voter registration system that accurately represents the composition of inhabitants within each constituency.

With further detail, the Commonwealth Expert Team expressly recommends that “a system of complete re-registration should be explored. The Team recognizes that considerable resources have been expended on the printing of the National Identification Card and that some may have to be reprinted for those voters who may be required to register in the constituency in which they reside. It may also entail the amendment of electoral Regulations to clarify and strengthen the residency requirements.”

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts - Nevis Calls For Voter Registration Confirmation
2. St. Kitts - Nevis Voter Registration System Passes Tests
3. St. Kitts - Nevis Voter Registration - 5,000 Confirmed
4. St. Kitts - Nevis Citizens Can Confirm Voter Registration
5. Nevis To Clean Up Voter List

People’s Action Movement Leader - Lindsay Grant

Basseterre,St.Kitts - Nevis
People’s Action Movement
February 22nd 2010

In a massive show of support and solidarity a huge crowd of supporters turned out to Maynard’s Park, Cayon to the first official post elections Public Meeting of the People’s Action Movement. The atmosphere was one of excitement, and defiance as speaker after speaker spoke to the Jan 25th election day travesty that took place in St.Kitts ,particularly in Constituency #4 as well as Constituencies 1 and 2.

“The elections are not over!” said People’s Action Movement Leader Lindsay Grant. “The fraudulent elections and the gross injustice that took place on Jan 25th will not go unanswered and unpunished. The people must get the representatives and the government they deserve and I will fight tooth and nail to ensure that democracy, justice and the rights and will of the people will and must prevail,” Grant continued.

According to a report submitted by the NGO coalition the elections were rife with irregularities including alleged incidents of voter fraud and intimidation orchestrated by the Labour party. It is reported that Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas facilitated and conducted such with the assistance of the security forces , particularly the defense force and other agents. The report clearly states and outlines an incident which was observed by members of the NGO coalition observer team where the Prime Minister “berated” the Defense force personnel for not transporting voters from Constituency #6 to Constituency #4 in an expeditious manner.
 
“What happened on January 25th was not an accident. It was not the result of random circumstance,” said the Harvard-Trained Lawyer Grant. “The hundreds of infractions of the law – crimes – that occurred were deliberately orchestrated in order to manufacture the desired result and I and the party which I am proud to continue to lead will fight for the right of every resident of this country to get the government that they deserve and voted for,” Grant continued.

Political Analysts have declared that those who reside  and live in St.Kitts day to day voted overwhelmingly for Change. However the almost 3000  overseas voters who were flown in on charters  bought and paid for by the Labour party, as well as the scores of wealthy foreign merchants who are even now slowly taking  over the business landscape tipped the electoral scales in favour of Labour.  The widespread fraud and gross elections irregularities thwarted the will of the Kittitian people who desire Change as the only way forward for the betterment of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

The election petition challenging the results of Constitunecy#4 were officially served on Monday February 15th  thus consolidating the fact that the movement for true democracy, equal rights and justice has only just begun.

Related posts:

1. PAM Leadership Threatens Voters Ahead of Elections
2. Pam Leader Cautions Supporters To Be Wary Of Voter Fraud
3. St. Kitts - Nevis PM Makes False Claims
4. More Calls For PAM Leader To Step Down
5. Liburd Scoffs At Claims By Opposition Parliamentarian

PAM Leader - Mr. Lindsay Grant

More Calls For PAM Leader To Step Down

Basseterre, St. Kitts - Nevis
February 09, 2010 (CUOPM)

Following his second consecutive defeat at the polls, there are mounting calls for the Mr. Lindsay Grant to resign from the leadership of the opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM).

In an ongoing opinion poll on SKNVIBES, 68 percent of persons want Mr. Grant to step down, while 33 percent wants him to remain as Leader of PAM.

Of the 1053 persons voting, 711 want Mr. Grant to give up the leadership, while 342 want him to stay.

Mr. Grant, who was handpicked to lead PAM in 2000 after its 8-0 whipping by the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, under the leadership of Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, was defeated in St. Christopher 4 (Challengers to New Guinea) by the Hon. Rupert Herbert, the Labour Party’s oldest candidate in the October 25 2004 General Election. The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party trounced PAM 6 to 2.

Prior to the January 25th 2010 poll, Mr. Grant thwarted two attempts by the Constituency Boundaries Commission to realign the boundaries following a recommendation by the Commonwealth Mission. He was defeated for the second consecutive time and lost to Labour’s rookie candidate, Hon. Glen Phillip, the new Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports, Information Technology and Post. PAM failed to win a majority of the seats in St. Kitts and in the National Assembly getting just two of the eight seats on St. Kitts.

As the results were announced on Election Night, there were calls during the analysis by several persons including Mr. Douglas Wattley and renowned Caribbean pollster, Mr. Peter Wickham, for Mr. Grant to give up the leadership of PAM.

Wickham, who correctly predicted that the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party will win the January 25th poll, said PAM must address the issues of leadership and popularity in light of its fourth successive general election defeat.

“I think it’s the end of the line for him,” Mr. Wickham said in a televised interview with the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC). Similar statements were made by Mr. Wickham as well as other local panelists on WINN FM’s coverage of the 2010 poll.

“I certainly do feel that it is a major embarrassment for him. He led a party for five years even though he was not the one who was elected (to Parliament),” said Wickham.

“He has now lost again and I believe it will be difficult for him to defend his right to continue as leader in the face of the fact that he has been unable to secure a seat,” the political scientist and pollster told CMC.

PAM then has to look for an alternative leader and my feeling is that they should not constrain themselves by believing that they have to elect someone who is within the party or within the Parliament.

He also said PAM had a false sense of security in the run up to the election, which was delayed due to legal challenges mounted by the opposition party seeking to prevent the government’s drive to shift constituency boundaries as part of its electoral reform efforts.

Related posts:

1. St.Kitts-Nevis Opposition Party Leader Calls For PM To Step Down
2. PAM Needs To Throw Lindsay Grant Overboard
3. Lindsay Grant Calls On PM To Reconvene Parliament
4. Pam Leader Cautions Supporters To Be Wary Of Voter Fraud
5. Labour Party Leader Calls For Full Support