San Cristóbal y Nieves: ultiman detalles a una semana de las elecciones
Voters lists finally published in St Kitts-Nevis
With just a week to go before general elections, voters lists have been finally published in St Kitts and Nevis.
On Monday morning, opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM) candidates had reported that they had still not received the lists.
By law, an annual voters register is to be prepared by December 31 and published by January 31. Voters are then given ten days in which to make objections.
The PAM has reported that it received a copy of a list at the end of January that was based on new boundaries adopted by Parliament on January 16. They have confirmed that the supervisor of elections has been demanding its return, saying that the list was not completed and he had not given permission for its distribution.
With a pending appeal to the Privy Council that could affect which boundaries are used on Election Day, February 16, the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal ordered last week Thursday that two lists be made available: one using the boundaries adopted on January 16 and one, the boundaries that existed prior to the 16.
Late Monday morning, PAM leader Shawn Richards and candidates Eugene Hamilton and Lindsay Grant told WINN that they had still not received the lists.
Asked on Monday afternoon when the lists would be ready, manager of the Electoral Office Oliver Knight told WINN FM that he would have to check with the supervisor of elections.
Told that WINN FM was following up on reports by the PAM that they had not received the list, Knight responded, “Ask them then, nuh.”
Contacted subsequently, Richards indicated that he had just received word that the lists were available at the party’s Secretariat.
WINN FM understands that the opposition People’s Labour Party also received copies of the lists on Monday.
Nevis Reformation Party officials contacted by WINN FM on Monday afternoon were uncertain whether the lists had been received.
Chair of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) in Nevis, Stedman Tross, meantime reported just after 3 o’clock on Monday afternoon that he had just been told by the electoral office that the lists had not yet been received.
On Monday afternoon, WINN FM was unable to reach any ruling Labour Party official to determine if they had yet received the lists.
