BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OFFICIALS from St. Kitts’ main opposition party the People’s Action Movement (PAM) have filed a report to the police regarding the destruction of party billboards in St. Peters.
Police PRO Vaughan Henderson confirmed that a report of “malicious destruction” was made yesterday morning (Nov. 30) by Marvin Edwards of Conaree, a senior official in the party.
“The police received a report that there was damage to billboards belonging to PAM’s candidate for Constituency Number Eight, Eugene Hamilton, from the new bypass road all the way up to Ogee’s Ghaut,” the Inspector revealed. “An officer from the Stapleton Police Station subsequently searched the area and recorded that several billboards had been damaged or completely destroyed.”
He added that investigations into the incident were ongoing.
Speaking to SKNVibes, Hamilton expressed his anger and concern over the situation. Calling the damage “significant”, he noted the billboards were mounted only a week ago.
“By Monday of last week, I had mounted 100 new billboards in St. Peters, primarily on the main road. Yesterday, I was told that the majority of the strip boards, which are made of a plastic-like material, had been damaged.
“It is obviously an attack on me. And I find it to be a very worrying pattern. On March 23, I was attacked by a stone. My office was subsequently broken into. And now with this destruction of my property, it shows that persons will go to any lengths for political expediency,” he declared.
The PAM Deputy Leader said an eyewitness had given him the names of the perpetrators and he had passed them on to the police. He stressed that he would not be intimidated by the action and promised to mount new billboards in the near future.
“I trust that good sense will prevail. I am not encouraging any PAM supporters to do damage to Labour’s billboards, and I hope that Labour officials are doing the same,” Hamilton said. “I have made a report to the NGO Coalition and I am looking forward to the decision that is arrived at by them and the police.”
The Coalition consists of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Evangelical Association and Christian Council, which joined forces earlier this year to publish a revised version of their 1993 Code of Conduct for the Political Process. The Code includes provisions for the behaviour of political parties and candidates, the media, and party supporters.
The Coalition’s Chairperson, Bishop Ron Dublin-Collins, issued a statement on behalf of the tripartite group.
“The National NGO Coalition strongly condemns the actions of any individual or group of individuals that were involved in the defacing and destruction of boards and posters belonging to PAM candidate Eugene Hamilton.
“The persons who committed the act are not doing so in the best interest of their party; rather, they are introducing violence into the political process, and we urge the police to investigate the matter thoroughly and fairly.”
