BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Nevis Reformation Party’s Cleone Stapleton-Simmonds has defeated Concerned Citizens Movement’s Keith Scarborough to retain the St. Thomas’ seat for her Party.
Left vacant after the sudden resignation of former Premier and former leader of the Nevis Reformation Party Joseph Parry, the St. Thomas’ seat has often been described as a stronghold of that political organization.
Parry back in December tendered his resignation with effect from the end of that month, paving the way for the by-election announced for March 5 by Premier Mark Brantley.
The result was a comprehensive victory for the newcomer to politics, Mrs Simmonds who registered 514 votes to Scarborough’s 191 votes.
Despite the push to get voters, there was a low percentage turnout at the polls as data from electoral officials pointed to a 46. 5 percent number.
Only 713 of the 1539 who were registered to exercise their franchise in the St. Thomas area actually visited one of the three polling locations.
In his breakdown of the results, the Supervisor of Elections Elvin Bailey disclosed that there were five polling five polling stations at the three locations - Jessups, Cotton Ground Community Center and the Nevis Performing Arts Center.
At the Cotton Ground Community Centre, Box 5(1) which was assigned a total of 585 voters.
The centre was subdivided in two sections – 5(1A) with 285 votes and 5(1B) with the remaining 294 voters.
In Polling Station 5 (1A) Mrs. Stapleton Simmonds won 113 votes while Mr. Scarborough got 34, while at Polling Station 5(1B) 83 and 41 votes respectively. He,however, pointed were 5 rejected ballots.
In the Jessups Community Centre – Nevis 5(2) a total of 658 voters were assigned. It was subdivided into two sections: Nevis 5(2A) with 330, and Nevis 5(2B) with 328 voters assigned.
In Polling Station Nevis 5 (2A) Mrs. Stapleton Simmonds won 119 votes and Mr. Scarborough 42, and in Nevis 5(2B) 119 and 38 respectively with 2 rejected ballots.
For the Nevis Performing Arts Centre (NEPAC) – Nevis 5(3) a total of 296 voters were assigned. Mrs. Stapleton Simmonds won 80 votes and Mr. Scarborough won 36.
There were no spoilt ballots. There was one rejected ballot.
With the win, Mr. Stapleton Simmonds will now serve the remaining term as the opposition’s representative in the Nevis island Assembly.
The Concerned Citizens Movement won four of the five seats in the assembly at the 2017 local elections.
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