BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – POLITICAL parties in St. Kitts-Nevis, with the exception of the People’s Action Movement (PAM), have failed to sign onto the Code of Conduct for the Political Process.
This is according to Mark Wilkin, Bishop Ron Dublin-Collins and Rev. Isaiah Phillip - the leaders of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CIC), the Evangelical Association and the Christian Council, respectively.
The Code, which is a product of their organisations, was first published in 1995 and revised in July of this year. In addition to targeting political parties, it sets out behavioural guidelines for the Electoral Commission, political candidates and voters.
After months of silence, the three leaders provided an update concerning the status of the document and its implementation at a press conference at CIC headquarters yesterday (Oct. 27).
“We had first sent a memo to all the political parties at the end of June to have them sign it in July. Although they all expressed a willingness to sign it verbally, the only party that officially responded was PAM,” said Wilkin.
“We had a meeting to discuss the monitoring and enforcing of the Code last week. PAM representatives shared their concern about certain sections, and after frank discussion, they signed it yesterday.”
The CIC President stressed that an active communication agenda would be pursued with those parties who had yet to formally observe the code, which include the ruling St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, the Concerned Citizens’ Movement and the Nevis Reformation Party.
The leaders also revealed that a Monitoring Committee consisting of themselves and three other members was established as the main agency responsible for enforcement of the Code’s guidelines. Acknowledging their own culpability in the delay behind its establishment, Rev. Phillip outlined the procedures that would govern the committee and assured that they were now “on the job”.
“On its own, the committee will monitor political meetings, but it is also open to receiving complaints from various individuals or organisations on real or perceived complaints of the Code. The committee would then procure the tape of the allegedly offending statement from the radio station.”
He added, “If there is a breach, the offending parties will be notified and the three organisations will make public statements condemning the violation. We will also ask the offenders to make statements of apology for their actions.”
Phillip expressed confidence that the Monitoring Committee would serve as an effective deterrent to irresponsible behaviour by politicians, stating that once there was public assistance in policing of the Code, a higher standard of political and voter maturity would be reached.
