Labour supporters flock Independence Square

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – SUPPORTERS of the governing St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) this morning (July 8) gathered in the Independence Square to show their solidarity for the party’s bid to overturn an injunction filed against it by the People’s Action Movement (PAM).

A small group of persons was observed standing beneath a tree opposite the CLICO building dressed in red shirts proclaiming “Labour: Capable Hands in Serious Times”. As the morning progressed, more red-shirted persons joined them to display their support.

The crowd is expected to increase later this afternoon as the judge is set to hear the case of Shawn Richards vs. the Electoral Boundaries Commission and the Attorney-General.

The injunction, which was granted on Thursday (July 2), prevented any immediate changes to the electoral boundaries in St. Kitts and Nevis. The move came after PAM Political Leader Lindsey Grant announced that he had instructed the party’s lawyers to file a challenge against the Boundaries Commission and the Attorney-General.

Speaking to SKNVibes at that time, Richards explained the rationale behind his party’s action.

“The injunction was to prevent Parliament from considering any report from the Boundaries Commission. We are of the view that there is a contravention of the law of natural justice, in that the government is attempting to change the boundaries on the eve of a general election. The constitution of St. Kitts and Nevis speaks to a free and fair elections and changing the boundaries at the very last minute could only be considered a recipe for confusion,” he said.

The issue of boundary changes has been a controversial topic leading up to the next general elections, which are constitutionally due in less than a year. While the government has stood firm in its desire to change the boundaries, PAM and its supporters have argued that any changes would be unfair at this time.

As many had expected Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Denzil Douglas to present the report of the Boundaries Commission in the National Assembly on Friday (July 3), the injunction thwarted what many perceived as his cue to dissolve Parliament and announce a date for elections. 

The Attorney-General challenged the ruling earlier this week, but His Lordship Justice Francis Belle decided today (July 8) that it would be upheld until he heard the substantive matters of the case.