Fellow officers by now we are well aware that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis will be holding its General Elections on Monday 25th January 2010. The polls will be open from 6:00am to 6:00 am on polling day. As such it begs a high standard of maturity, professionalism and efficiency from the security forces even now so that we can discharge our duties and safeguard the democratic process.
Our role as the police is extremely significant! Even though I have much confidence in you, your excellent track record, your training and your commitment in policing major events I feel compelled to offer a reminder so as to be even more certain that we must, we have to and we will get it right once again.
This is not to say we have not had some challenges. We have already received complaints from the two major political parties on St. Kitts plus independent candidates, of vandalism to their campaign billboards. Our strategies in combating that have been to encourage the political parties and their agent to appeal to their supports that that kind of behavior is uncalled for. We have also given our patrols specific instructions to pay special attention to campaign paraphernalia and infrastructure. We have since then had a significant reduction in complaints and so I would like my appreciation to all instrumental to be made public.
Similarly to the fight against crime and violence, we the police cannot do it alone and so we have been constantly stressing the need for continued police public cooperation. There is no difference during this political season we need all the public cooperation we can get. We want to remind the general public that you can do much in simply encouraging you friends and relatives not to break the law and to report to the police those who willfully and maliciously insist on doing so.
In the same breath I must say we can only properly give advice and encouragement about what is right or wrong if we know the difference and so I will attempt to outline a few situations where we can go wrong with a view of providing some guidance. The National Assembly (Elections) (Amendment) Regulations, 2009 made under section 104 of the National Assembly Elections Act, Chapter 162 created some new election offences.
• Persons are prohibited from entering the polling booth carrying or using a cell phone, camera or similar gadget on polling day. The presiding officer will hold any such property in safe custody until after the person had cast their vote. A person found in contravention of this section will be liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both.
• It shall be an offence for a person to present a false national Identification Card to a presiding officer on polling day. This offence will attract a fine not exceeding twenty thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both.
• Intoxicating liquor is not to be sold or given to anyone on polling day.
• Employers are to allow employees time to vote
• Loudspeakers, ensigns, banners etc. are prohibited on polling day.
• Flags, ribbons or favours not to be furnished or worn on polling day.
I believe one of the most critical talking points will be that of the offence of personation and so I will again attempt to bring some clarity to this issue. Any person who at an election applies for a ballot paper in the name of another person, whether that name be the name of a person living or dead, or a fictitious person, or having voted once at any election, applies at the same for a ballot in his own name, shall be guilty of personation.
What I believe is even more critical is to remind the police that your role at the polling stations is to maintain law and order and to ensure that there is no disruption of the peace so as to pervert the democratic process. The presiding officer and returning officers have their specific and special functions to carry out and so too the police. I beg of you fellow officers do not get carried away with the functions of the presiding officers especially as it relates to the register of voters or what we know as the voters list. The law is clear, section 41 of Chapter 162 states:
“…..a person is entitled to vote at an election is a constituency if on polling day, he is qualified to be a voter for that constituency and is on that day registered in the Register of Voters (what we know as the Voter’s List) to be used at the election in that constituency.”
Let me stress further it is not your (the police) job to be policing the Voter’s List but rather to ensure that the process is a peaceful one. We know like most if not all General Elections emotions will be running wild and persons are likely to fly off the handle and so we are proactive in our approach to security. We have already contacted the St. Kitts Nevis Defense Force and have been given a firm commitment to assist with the overall security. We know as well that we can rely on the law abiding citizens of our federation to safeguard your own democracy by abiding with the law and encouraging other to do likewise.
I conclude by saying once your name appears on the Voters List there is really no real reason for you to be intimidated in getting the opportunity to exercise you God given and constitutional right and we the security forces jointly will ensure that there is sufficient order so that all qualified voters do exercise their franchise in an environment of peace and stability.
Thank you and may God Bless.
