BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, May 04.2018 – PREMIER of Nevis, Hon. Mark Brantley has given his views on the issue of whether or not nationals living abroad should continue to be allowed to travel home to vote during Federal elections.
Brantley, in his monthly press conference on Monday (Apr. 30) told the local media that he is expecting the Federal government to have “robust discussions” both locally and abroad about the amendments being made to the legislation with regards to overseas voters.
He noted that “we have had a phenomenon of overseas voters for a very long time”.
The legislation which has had a first reading proposes, among other changes, that nationals must be residing in the Federation for at least six months prior to the elections in order to be deemed eligible to register to vote.
“What I think the discussion ought to be about is people overseas who continue to invest and be a part of our community here,” he said.
He explained that he travelled to England with the Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris and held a town hall meeting there for the nationals and was shocked to see “well over 200 people”, noting that the people there had many questions about the twin island Federation and knew more about St. Kitts and Nevis than expected.
“They listen all of the news, they keep tabs and so that constituency who are living abroad but have invested heart, mind and soul and sometimes their money in St. Kitts and Nevis, I think a conversation has to happen with them as well,” Brantley told the local press.
He added that his view to the Federal government or to the Cabinet is that the citizens overseas should be consulted and then decisions should be arrived at that would be in the best interest of the country.
“We ought not to take decisions on the basis that ‘this is going to hurt one party and not the other’. We have to take decisions that, in my view, ultimately help the process and the transparency of the electoral system and maybe in that discussion, other proposals and solutions may come forward,” he stated.
He further stated that in other countries there is an absentee ballot, noting that in other places the voters could go to the embassies and missions abroad and vote there.
“All of these things should be on the table and [then] we [can] have a discussion accordingly,” the Premier said.
