St. Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas told Parliament that the governing St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party "in government or out of government, has always been the champion of the cause of peoples'

rights, especially their democratic rights, and has led this country through many years and periods of political development that has brought us to where we are, and is again being given the specific responsibility of ensuring that we can guard the cherished democracy that we have fought so hard for in the years to come."

Noting that the lawmakers was meeting on August 1st, celebrated in several Caribbean islands as Emancipation Day, Prime Minister Douglas said it was a day when his Labour Administration brought to Parliament a policy document that will guide the process of Electoral Reform.

"It was also of course the duty of the Labour Party to champion the cause of the masses of this country when successfully in 1952, we eventually brought to the citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis what was called Adult Suffrage. Of course before that, the slaves who occupied a very prominent position in the economic and social landscape of St. Kitts and Nevis had no political right as such.  Only those persons who had property, the planter class, the business community, they were the ones who had the right to vote.  Imagine in those days, if it were possible for a mule or a horse to vote they would have been given the right to vote before the slaves. The black man, the black woman and the black child who was age eighteen upwards they had no right whatsoever to vote because they were not considered to be human beings with any capacity to make a difference in the political structure and in the governance of the country in those very terrible but very important days,"

said Dr. Douglas.

He also noted that it was also the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, under a different leadership in government that in general championed the cause of the ordinary man in St. Kitts and Nevis and as a result, won successfully the right of every black man and woman in this country to vote; whether or not he had property.

~~Adz:Right~~"Once he had obtained the rightful age and was appropriately registered, he was then allowed to vote and make a contribution in the political development and the process of governance here in St. Kitts and Nevis and in those days Anguilla," said Prime Minister Douglas, who also noted that after Adult Suffrage, it was a St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Government that sustained the course of democracy by taking the state through the first stage of political independence.

Prime Minster Douglas also noted that a People's Action Movement Administration which assumed office in 1980, moved the twin-island Federation to Independence in 1983 and in 1984 attempted "to solidify our governance structure through the reform of the then electoral system."

Dr. Douglas pointed out that the reform of the electoral system by the PAM Administration in 1984 was not carried out over a period of two years, four years, or even eight months or even twelve months, but over a lightening period of four months.

"The process started in April 1984 and ended on Election Day in June of 1984, noted Prime Minister Douglas, who pointed out that the People's Action Movement (PAM) Government of Dr. Kennedy Simmonds "completed a new electoral system without any consultation whatsoever with the people of this country."

Prime Minister Douglas said the actions by the Simmonds Administration in

1984 "only attempted to solidify their grip on power and sneaked upon this country, a new electoral system without any consultation with the general public or the electorate."

He said his governing St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Government would now ensure that there is open consultation and discussion in the reform process of the proposed new electoral system.