BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – CONSTITUENCIES EIGHT AND SEVEN were buzzing with activity yesterday (Jan. 15) when candidates vying to represent the people of those areas were nominated.
The nomination trail was blazed by independent candidate campaigning for Constituency Number Seven, Reginald C. H. Thomas, popularly known as Calypso Reggie, who was first to arrive at the polling station for that area – the Tabernacle Police Station.
Flanked by his nominators George Gumbs and Tyrone Nisbett, Thomas submitted his nomination fee and took an oath declaring that all information he presented during the process are true and correct.
Thomas, in an interview with SKNVibes explained that he is fully aware that, over the years, the electorate in St. Kitts-Nevis has not gravitated to independent candidates. He however explained, “There must be a start in everything. So even if it was not accepted then, I am starting to implement it now…so eventually it will work.
Confident that he would capture the Number Seven seat, Thomas expressed, “Effort plus Determination equal Success. A man sang a song and said, ‘Don’t start it is you can’t finish it.’ I am in for the win; if I don’t, better luck next time.”
“Harris again, Harris again” were the shouts which permeated the atmosphere as the incumbent representative for Constituency Number Seven, Chairman of the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party, Dr. Timothy Harris, made his way to the nomination centre.
Surrounded by his supporters and with his Labour Party colleague Cedric Liburd by his side, Harris paraded through streets of the Tabernacle community in a near carnival-style, ending at the Tabernacle Community Centre where he entered for nomination with obvious confidence.
Nominated by Venetta Fredericks and Romancia Rogers, Harris expressed his confidence in retaining the seat he has held for the past 16 years.
The Labour train chugged its way from Tabernacle to Belle Vue, still in its near carnival-style, then made its way back in the opposition to Molyneaux and on to the nomination centre for Constituency Eight.
Liburd, nominated by Enid Jeffers-Wilson and Diana Williams, described his nomination as a signal of his “four-peat” victory at the polls. He has provided representation to the people of Constituency Number for some 14 years.
The second of two independent candidates for the 2010 General Elections, Elsroy ‘Toonai’ Dorset, has confirmed his intention to run against Labour candidate Marcella Liburd and PAM candidate Roy Flemming in Constituency Number Two.
Sometime around 12:30 p.m., Dorset made his way to the Constituency Number Two nomination centre and was successful in sealing his candidacy for this election.
While many have opined that both Fleming and Liburd have good chances of snagging the seat, Dorset says he is confident that it is his. He said he has been having a series of public meetings to alert his constituents of his plans for the area and intends to continue doing so until the election date arrives.
Dorset was a candidate for the United National Empowerment Party during the 2004 General Elections but decided that this time he would run independently.
