The people of Nevis are once again gearing up for elections almost exactly one year after the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) defeated the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) in the local elections. 

This bi-election has been necessitated by the passing of the late Honourable Malcom E Guishard who held the post of Leader of Opposition in the Federal House and Parliamentary representative for Nevis 9 which includes the parishes of St Paul and St Johns. According to the constitution of St Kitts and Nevis a bi –election must be held within ninety (90) days of a seat becoming vacant.

Even before the funeral service for Malcom Guishard, Lawyer Mark Brantley had already announced to the media that he would contest the seat on behalf of the CCM while the Honourable Hensley Daniel the Deputy Premier of Nevis and parliamentary representative for St John in the local assembly will contest the seat for the NRP. 

While the Honourable Hensley Daniel can consider himself a political veteran having first entered elective politics in the year 2000 when he lost to the Honourable Malcom Guishard by 12 votes in the Federal election, this is the first time that Mr. Mark Brantley will be contesting an election.

Both political parties seem confident of victory and the election is seen as important by both parties as it would also dictate which party would hold the most seats on the opposition benches. It will also be seen as a litmus test to judge if there has been any change in the Nevisian electorate since last year when they elected the NRP in the local election. 

Hensley Daniel lost to the incumbent Malcom Guishard in October 2004 by some 122 votes during the last Federal elections but since then he beat Malcom Guishard in July 2006 to win the St John seat while the Honourable Robelto Hector won the St Paul’s seat for the NRP beating Michael Perkins. 

It means that the NRP’s Hensley Daniel should start this election as the front runner. If the local election results of July last year are to be replicated it would mean that the NRP should win; but will win by less than 60 votes which was the combined total of the victory for the St Paul’s and St John’s seat.

~~Adz:Left~~ The elections then are expected to be close as both candidates are busy canvassing support from the voters. Mark Brantley though a virgin to elective politics is openly confident of victory while the Honourable Hensley Daniel too seems confident of victory. 

The bi-election though comes at an awkward time when the residents of Nevis are gearing up for Nevis’ largest cultural festival (Culturama) at the end of July. Speculation is rife then that the elections would not be called until late August or early September after the cultural festivities. Historically though,  many Nevisians do not vote in the Federal Elections as in the local one. This is because many see it  as being useless, because it often means that the balance of power is being held by a party in St. Kitts.