BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - IT has been officially confirmed that retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Joseph Liburd has received his walking papers from the Governor-General, signalling his tenure from the Electoral Commission has ended.
Word broke last week that Liburd was asked to resign his position on the Commission but he refused to do such, and was told that he should expect to receive his letter of dismissal.
Well, Liburd confirmed that he received the letter yesterday (May 18).
The letter immediately made rounds yesterday on social media, pointing out: “I, Samuel Weymouth Tapley Seaton…Governor-General of the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis acting on the advice of the Prime Minister do hereby revoke your appointment as a Member of the Electoral Commission for Saint Christopher and Nevis under the provisions of Section 33(3)(c) with effect from the 12th day of May 2022.”
However, despite his dismissal, the retired ACP noted that he did not take the letter with any animosity, pointing out that he was expecting it to come.
He accepted that the work on the Commission was a national service to the country, an area in which he was specialised while in the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force.
“ Yes, I take the entire serving on the Electoral Commission as a service, as a national service to the country. It is not a work or a job. It is a service rendered to the country and when I read the letter, I know that they were pleased with the way our conversation went,” he told WINN FM.
Many have questioned the rationale behind Liburd’s dismissal especially during the period when an election is imminent. But as he leaves the electoral body, Liburd is still open to serving his country in any capacity, as he pointed out that the work he did while in the Commission was not an area that was well compensated.
He revealed that they were given a monthly stipend of EC$332.50.
It has been reported that a lawyer is expected to assume the position left by Liburd, joining Nazibou Butler, who is the Chairman, and opposition representative, Jason Hamilton.
