BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TALKS surrounding Electoral Reform is about to come to fruition, as the Government is currently working on a number of changes and is hopeful of having them implemented soonest.
According to the Team Unity Administration, the changes include discrepancies during the 2015 General Elections when a number of persons had voted outside of their constituencies and also when a number of breaches were allegedly discovered at the Electoral Office.
The Team Unity Administration had launched an investigation which was stalled for many months, during which time the Federation was without a Police Commissioner. However, the Government is yet to release the findings into the two-prong investigation.
Speaking with SKNVibes, Attorney-General Hon. Vincent Byron Jr. disclosed that the reform is intertwined with the Boundary Changes matter that is currently before the court.
“At this moment we are working to come to the public with a major Electoral Reform programme,” AG Byron said. “So it is something that is very much interconnected with the boundary case. Do we have the same report tabled in parliament in January 2015 or will it be struck down?”
In a previous interview, Byron had noted that the Government, which is the claimant in the Boundary Changes case, was in the process of submitting the requisite papers to have the matter heard at the earliest opportunity.
Additionally, he pointed out that the entire boundary matter would be tied into several issue, including the Voters’ List, what should be done with the Overseas Voters and Campaign Financing.
“These are the major headings that have to be investigated and so forth as we go forward. And tied to that would be any sort of improprieties and any law-breaking that was done in order to get us to this point,” the AG said.
The revamping process forms part of the Government’s aim of having all its agencies be more accountable.
Since taking office last year, the Government revamped the Citizenship by Investment programme and discussions are being held at various levels to revamp the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation.
