BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IT has been over two years and the Government is still awaiting a date to have the boundaries case heard in court, which it had brought against the Labour Party administration while in opposition.
According to the Attorney-General, Hon. Vincent Byron Jr., there needs to be a conclusion to the case, but the court has not set any date for the hearing.
Speaking with reporters recently, Byron explained that with no set date, they are unaware of where the matter is and they are waiting to hear from the court, reiterating that “it is now more than two years” since it was brought.
Shortly before the 2015 General Election, the coalition Team Unity had challenged the Constituency Boundaries Commission Report which sought to have the boundaries changed ahead of polling day.
The coalition believed that the boundary changes were done out of bias, as it was alleged that the Government had manipulated the proposals.
But the Government of the day believed that the changes were necessary so as to bring balance in some of the constituencies that had more people than others.
However, the then opposition filed an injunction and was successful in having the election not held under the new boundaries.
So far, the court has not made a determination on whether the boundary changes still stand.
Meantime, the Government is moving apace with the appointment of a new Constitutional Boundaries Commission, which the Attorney-General said that the requisite two years have elapsed since the last report was tabled.
The last report was tabled in January 2015 when it was allegedly forced through Parliament before the National Assembly was dissolved.
“So now that would be January 2017 and we are now in a position to establish a new Constituency Boundaries Commission and have that done. And we should really have that one established over the next few weeks,” Byron said.
He however reminded that there are two matters still in the court – the appeal from 2013 when the first report was struck down (currently before the Court of Appeal) and the 2016 January Report.
“So while we await that matter to go to court, no one knows what the outcome would be. But I am saying that regardless of whether or not. The outcomes can be either that it is struck down and you are still back to the old report, or it is upheld and the current report is then going forward.
“But if it is struck down, we have the old report and we still need to review the boundaries. And I would have that the appointment of a new Boundaries Commission that the two of them would go along side by side.”
