KINGSTON, Jamaica – HERE in Jamaica, the people spoke again on Monday through their democratic electoral process and reconfirmed that the People’s National Party (PNP) was the Party they looked to for leadership at the local council level as well as at the National Parliamentary level.
By midnight, the ballots had been counted, the losing candidates had conceded and victory speeches were well underway. A well oiled election machinery was in place; there were no cries of “foul” and democracy was again established. The people retained their power; the politicians served at their bidding.
This is in direct contrast to elections held in St. Kitts and Nevis where announcements are not finalised until the following morning; cries of ‘foul’ continue for years after and make their way through law courts and appeal processes. And no one is sure whether the candidates in Parliament are really the most popular choices since as little as 14 or 29 votes separate the ‘winners’ and the ‘losers’ with equal numbers of spoilt ballots.
The smooth electoral process in Jamaica that even baffles the pollster pundits in their predictions seems to indicate that the Jamaica Electoral Commission is doing the ‘right thing’ in their actions that inspire confidence and acceptance. What do they do differently from St. Kitts and Nevis we have to ask?
On analysis, it is observed that Jamaica has an extremely independent Electoral Commission, headed by the reputable Prof. Errol Miller of the University of the West Indies. There is zero tolerance for political interference. It would be unheard of for a Supervisor of Elections to disobey directions from the Electoral Commission and take advice from counsel in the Attorney General’s office especially if the AG is himself a candidate for the elections in question.
Significantly, no planeloads of overseas voters are hustled in and shuffled around to boost pre-determined flagging boxes in selected constituencies. Only those resident in Jamaica can determine the government under which they must live.
The integrity of constituency voting is maintained due to the regular spot checks being done by officers of the Electoral Office to verify the true residency of voters.
In all three areas, the St. Kitts and Nevis Electoral process lends itself to rampant corruption and governments would rather appeal the decision of the courts than bend to its declaration that officers were corrupt and irregularities were perceived even when the same conclusions come from the OAS and Caricom Observer Groups of the elections in question.
This has caused the learned Judge Jones giving a recent decision in the Nevis Election to state “It is troubling the relaxed way in which non compliance of the law is regarded.”
Although many have called on Government to “do the right thing”, requests from politicians and ‘voices’ on talk shows are regularly ignored. Other voices are now joining the call. “Webbo” of VON radio just recently has been heard advising callers to “do the right thing” for in the long run this is what will prevail.
Learned counsel Emile Ferdinand has opined that having overseas voters may not be “the right thing” and he gives his reasons.
So steeped is St. Kitts and Nevis in political rhetoric and behind the scenes dealings that it is claimed that they have forgotten what the right thing is or that this call is a call to ACTION and not just to SAYING the right thing.
More and more it is becoming evident that it is to the youth St. Kitts and Nevis will have to turn to lift their country out of its political morass. The youth still have the strong idealistic spirit which has not yet turned sour or cynical due to continuous and blatant distancing of those leading from the cries of the poor. They still can visualise an ideal St. Kitts and Nevis.
Groups like SKNYPA (The St. Kitts Nevis National Youth Parliament), SPIRIT of Sandy Point, LEAP, and upcoming Agricultural Groups show a striving for excellence and “doing the right thing” which is not mirrored by more mature leaders of the society.
Jonell Powell, at the end of the radio programme ‘Inside the News’ on Saturday went even further than stating “It is time to do the right thing,” He said to forget about party politics; “we need to stop defending our positions; get real; it is time to correct the problems regardless of who started them; it is time to mature politically so that we can have free and fair elections.”
Well already, those who proclaim to hold the motto of “Country above Self” aloft have called Powell a ‘disgrace’ for abandoning his ‘party position’.
Nonetheless, it is hoped that the youth will prevail until St. Kitts and Nevis can reclaim its moral compass and get back on course on its electoral journey, among other things.
“Parties in power eventually become Parties in Opposition,” states Lawyer Emile Ferdinand. But one has to wonder how this will be possible if a party in power perpetuates and condones electoral irregularities in an electoral system
