BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SCIENTIFIC polling and analyses are often used as a means of predicting what is likely to take place during a general elections. These are often used by the political parties in ascertaining their chances of gaining success at the polls.
Though non-scientific however, there almost seems to be a “story” being told by the presence of absence of billboards around the island.
Over the past couple of weeks, there has been obvious and increased activity involving the posting of billboards/signboards on lampposts which line the streets of the different communities of the various constituencies.
It is interesting to note that while some constituencies are heavily speckled with red billboards and others with yellow etc, there are those which are either void of billboards while others are pretty with a variety.
Politicians on both sides of the political divide have, at one point or another, exclaimed their confidence that they would be successful at the polls and would either retain the government or form the new administration.
But is a “story” really being told by the billboards?
Beginning with one of the more controversial constituencies, plastered across several streets in Constituency Number Four are yellow billboard which carry the name of the Unity candidate and member of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) Lindsay Grant.
The same applies for Constituency Number Five, with the name of Unity member and candidate for the PAM, the Hon. Shawn Richards name dominating.
Some portions of Constituency Number Three seem to have seen more activity from either side of the divide than in other constituencies, with boards, for both Konris of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party and the People’s Labour Party’s (PLP) Sam Condor, who is also a member of Team Unity, decorating utility poles.
In the “Monkey Hill” and surrounding areas of Constituency Number Eight, a plethora of red boards for Dr. Terrance Drew of the SKNLP have been mounted. And although there are a few of his opponent’s PAM’s the Hon. Eugene Hamilton, it seems his concentration is in the Cayon area where his yellow posters are dominating.
In Constituency Number Seven, a fair amount of paraphernalia for the SKNLP’s Dr. Vance Gilbert is erected but a considerable quantity of boards for the PLP’s the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris has also been mounted.
Leading in Constituency Number Two is PAM’s Jonell Powell and in Constituency Number One a few boards for PAM’s Ian ‘Patches’ Liburd are mounted.
Constituency Number Six, as some have suggested, has a pre-determined outcome as it has always been a stronghold for the SKNLP. It is also suggested that because of this, the area is void of SKNLP paraphernalia. Furthermore, Team Unity has yet to make an announcement on the name of the individual they would select to run in that constituency.
SKNVibes has spoken to a number of individuals who claim to have been keeping a keen eye of the political developments on the island and they share the view that – oddly enough – the parties all seem to be stacking their boards in constituencies where they feel certain of victory.
Should this theory prove true, it means that Team Unity is confident of victory in Constituencies One, Two, Four and Five, with the SKNLP confident of holding on to Constituency Number Six. As for Constituencies Three, Seven and Eight however, the opposing candidates would be fighting to the finish.
On the contrary, others have suggested that it is far too early in the writing of the script for it to be read and it is suspected that within the next couple of weeks, hundreds of other billboards would be lining the streets of the different communities.
What, in your view, is the story or message that the billboards portray? Do you agree with the views expressed above or are you more inclined to believe the reverse?
