Opposition demands new elections in St Kitts-Nevis

BASSETERRE, St Kitts – Five defeated candidates of the main opposition St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) have filed petitions in the High Court challenging the results of the June 5 general elections in the twin island Federation.

“The petitions allege massive corruption in the elections, massive corruption, and I ask everybody when it is published in the newspapers to read them carefully,” said attorney Sylvester Anthony after filing the petitions late Friday.

SKNLP leader, Dr Denzil L Douglas later told supporters that the party’s agents had reported that there had been massive cheating in the conduct of the general elections held during a State of Emergency and COVID-19 conditions.

“These are serious matters that we believe could have affected the outcome of the election and thus we are asking the court to look at the evidence, to look at the petitions of our candidates and determine whether or not those who were returned were fairly and justifiably returned, and if not, quash the returns of the Returning Officers and if we do not have our candidates appointed instead, then we would have a new election,” Douglas said.

He told supporters that the government headed by Harris “is illegal, it is illegitimate, so we are asking for new elections, fair elections to elect the members of our Parliament.

“We also want to make it clear, that there were really no serious observers during the elections, they did not want any international election observers to monitor the elections, because Harris told them (OAS and Commonwealth) observers that if they came they would have to be quarantined for 14 days and by that time the elections would have been long gone,” Douglas told the supporters.

Douglas insisted that the June 5 elections “were fraudulent, the government is illegal and we want fresh elections in this country”.

Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris was sworn into office for a second consecutive term after his coalition Team Unity won nine of the 11 seats in the Parliament.

The coalition comprises the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) in Nevis as well as the People’s Action Movement (PAM) and the People’s Labour Party (PLP), both in St Kitts,“We shall create the modern history in St Kitts and Nevis by making the example of the best managed small island state. That is my pledge and that is my commitment,” Harris said, soon after he was sworn in, noting that this would be his last term serving as prime minister. (CMC)