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Basseterre, St. Kitts (October 4, 2006): Monday night's public consultation at the Sandy Point high school wasn't the usual.
For one, there was a palpable sense of drama in the air: attendees dueled verbally among each other intermittently, with an audience listening in on Sugar City Roc 90.3 FM.
Also, substantive contributions kept on coming from a wide cross-section of attendees, many of whom appeared to have formulated their recommendations for the Electoral Reform Consultative Committee (ERCC) beforehand. Thirdly, political representatives of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party and the People's Action Movement (PAM) addressed the ERCC.
There were a few instances where presenters seemed to be directing their points more so at some politicians and their supporters than at ERCC members Elvis Newton (Chair); Clive Bacchus; Douglas Wattley, and Clement "Bouncin" Williams, who conducted the meeting.
Mr. Dwight Burke initially made five points and said with respect to the boundaries that, "I think everybody knows how the boundaries were before and for some reason it was changed...it was accepted by them...which was the last Administration."
A lady identified only as Mrs. Buchanan said that, "I am hearing some persons saying all the time that the boundaries had been changed by the former Administration. That is not so. That is not so. It was changed by the first Labour Government and it was brought back to normal by the former Administration." A few people applauded. "You see, I am not a young person," she continued.
"And your recommendations are?," interjected ERCC member Mr. Williams.
"I am here long ago and I know these things so nobody could brainwash me," she said.
"Alright," said a man in the audience, clapping.
"Mr. Gumbs," Mr. Williams admonished the man, "the cross, the cross, the cross." The lady moved on to another point.
Later in the discussions, a man identified only as Mr. Wiltshire addressed the crosstalk among the audience. "I think that we are here to come up with the best solutions as to the way forward. I think too many of us are delving on who did what, when, and that kind of thing. If we are a progressive country, we cannot keep going backwards and throwing blame here and throwing blame there. That is a big problem we have in St. Kitts-Nevis...I think that we need to get away from that situation of casting here and casting there. That's not what we're here for," he said.
Further into the meeting, Mr. Williams exhorted the group of people after a particularly heated exchange concerning the voting rights of Nationals abroad. The dustup came after Lionel James Burgundy pronounced that, "There are many Nationals who are more important to this country than some of them who are living home here, who are living home here," seemingly in reference to what he previously mentioned as "the amount of millions that we send to this country."
"Let us not lose our focus," urged Mr. Williams. "Our focus is towards getting a better electoral system for us as a people; a system that we would love and cherish, and when the day is done who wins win and who loses lose. That is what we want to refine. That is what we are trying to do by this process."
For the most part, the recommendations were indeed focused.
With regard to the issue of identification, the following suggestions came forth: There ought to be a "proper" I.D. that has on it the holder's photograph; social security number; date of birth; fingerprint; place of birth; height, distinguishing marks, and blood type. It was also suggested that the constituency and polling station germane to the holder should be on the card. A few people expressed concerns about the "safety" of the identification card. A man said, "The fingerprint is very, very important...I don't see why some people are so reluctant to have a fingerprint. Do they want to try something? I don't know." Troy Mills suggested that if there is an I.D. put in place it should be "one of permanence". He added that there should be a unique number on this card that matches the number on the holder's social security card, passport, and drivers" license.
The issue of Nationals abroad voting was heavily discussed along with the boundaries. With regard to Nationals abroad voting, the following opinions came forth: There were people who felt that Nationals abroad must not be disenfranchised. People also expressed scepticism, or outright disapproval towards Nationals abroad voting: It is "not right' for them to "determine" our "affairs," our "government," and our "fate." Some people felt that Nationals abroad ought to be required to demonstrate their interest in voting by being resident for at least six months in St. Kitts and Nevis. Claudius Hardis Gumbs said that, "The registering of persons is very, very important." Not only should Nationals abroad be resident here for a period of time, he said, but they should present themselves to the registration office in St. Kitts and Nevis in order to be eligible to vote. A lady also suggested that an electoral system be implemented whereby votes that Nationals abroad make wherever they live can be sent to St. Kitts and Nevis through the mail.
The lady said that when Nationals die abroad and are buried back home, no one argues that, "Well, don't bring them back to the country to be buried because they lived all their years wherever they went." She added that, "If a Kittitian lives anywhere and wants to come back to vote, as long as they are registered they must vote because it's here they were born. They weren't born where they went. They went away probably to make life better and to make their families" lives a little better." She said that if St. Kitts and Nevis rescinds their voting rights, "We should send back their money when they send it to us to help us and not take it then."
~~Adz:Right~~Leo Woods proposed that people who were born in St. Kitts and Nevis but have become naturalized citizens of another country should not retain their right to vote. "You cannot sell the St. Kitts-Nevis flag and its passport and take up the U.S., Canada, or wherever, raise your right hand, swear allegiance to that country, and come back and say that you're voting in St. Kitts and Nevis because you were born here...
"I am saying that if you sell "O Land of Beauty" and you sell the two stars," he added, referring to the first four words in the St. Kitts and Nevis National Anthem and the two white stars on the National Flag that symbolize hope and liberty, "then don't come back to vote." Mr. Woods said that people who are merely permanent residents of another country should retain their right to vote in St. Kitts and Nevis.
With regard to the boundaries, people felt that the government has to find out how many people live in and are registered in a constituency before any changes are made to them. Owen Phipps recommended that before changes are made a "brand new" voters" list needs to be established and the quantity of voters in each district needs to be reconsidered. Troy Mills reiterated that there needs to be a new list - starting "from scratch" - before the boundaries are adjusted. Mr. Mills said that one way to achieve this would be to go to every single house in order to get a "true indication of who and how many people are living where." Claudius Gumbs said that it is his view that St. Kitts and Nevis cannot have all the constituencies in St. Kitts and Nevis carrying the same amount of people. "It is impossible, very, very impossible," he asserted. The majority of attendees felt that people should vote in the constituency that they live in. "You can't crisscross boundaries," said Mr. Wiltshire.
Other recommendations were that there should be a code of conduct governing the behaviour of politicians, particularly with respect to electioneering; there needs to be campaign finance reform: there should be a declaration of funding sources and amounts and uses of funds; the voter should seal his or her ballot and place it in the ballot box, and there needs to be present in the polling station a balanced number of political party representatives.
Prime Minister Douglas presented his [Labour] Party's views on a number of issues, including voter identification and registration. "We must ensure that after the reform exercise is completed, we would not have disenfranchised any of our voters who are resident overseas, whether they return to the country on being properly registered one minute before the polling station is closed on election day they must have the right to vote. There must be no time restriction whatsoever because then you would be disenfranchising the voter, and we do not believe in the disenfranchisement of any voter who has the right to vote in this country."
~~Adz:Left~~The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party leader continued, "And so this time limit I'm personally against it. My Party is against it, and I hope that we would be able to ensure that this view is reflected in the report that goes to the relevant Authority and Committee for due consideration."
Chesley Hamilton, representing the People's Action Movement (PAM), responded: "Mr. Chairman, I would like to put on the record that my Party does not want to disenfranchise any voter, whether living in St. Kitts or abroad. We believe that all voters must be placed on the same footing, equality of voter; one man, one vote, no matter where you live, no matter where you reside."
Mr. Hamilton continued, "And if there's a residency requirement for the man living in Sandy Point, and if there's a residency requirement for the man living in St. Paul's, then there must be a residency requirement for the man living in Timbuctoo as well - whether that is one day, one week, one minute, we don't care what it is but it must be igual, igual."
Honourable Shawn Richards of PAM, who is the Parliamentary representative for Sandy Point and Fig Tree, submitted a discussion paper to the Electoral Reform Consultative Committee (ERCC) on behalf of the Party, which he said they hope would add to the debate in terms of electoral reform.
Clement "Bouncin" Williams said the document will be categorized as an official presentation from the PAM Party, and will be of equal value to the presentations of other parliamentary political parties.
Mr. Williams characterized the meeting as "very full." He added that instead of an ERCC member reading the usual summary of the main points at the end of the night, Douglas Wattley would just give a brief overview.
Before giving his overview, Mr. Wattley said, "I was fortunate this evening to have heard some points of view, which I consider valid, and they have added to the content of the debate or the consultation."
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