By Shawn Seabrookes
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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Leader of the People's Action Movement, Mr. Lindsay Grant
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The People’s Action Movement (PAM) are still abiding by their claims that the ongoing Electoral Reform process is being doctored by the ruling Labour Party Administration, and they will not participate in the ongoing reform.
The PAM reasserted their position toward electoral reform during a press conference at the Ocean Terrace Inn (OTI), on Thursday morning, July 12th.
Leader of the PAM, Mr. Lindsay Grant, noted that the ongoing process is attempt by the present government to suppress the will of the people.
In addition to alleging that the Electoral Reform process is corrupted, Grant noted that it is a complete mockery to transparency and good governance.
Grant noted that his party was in favour of electoral reform but was totally dissatisfied with how it has been orchestrated by the ruling Labour Party, and called the present process “a charade”.
As a result of these dissatisfactions, the People’s Action Movement has decided not to participate in the process.
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| (L-R)Chairman of the People's Action Movement. Mr. Eugene Hamilton,Leader of the People's Action Movement, MR. Lindsay Grant, Parliamentarian, Hon. Shawn Richards |
“We reaffirm our initial decision, to refuse to participate in this process and welcome any similar decision from any stakeholder,” the PAM Leader said.
Among the issues being questioned by the PAM are the appointments of the various committees by Government, especially the Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Sam Condor, being the Chairman of the Parliamentary Constitutional and Electoral Reform and Boundaries Committee, alleging that remarks made by him earlier indicate a strong bias, and the withholding of the reports, that have already been done, from the general public.
The reports need to be made available so that the general public could know exactly how the Government analyzed the information it gleaned, the PAM Leader claimed.
~~Adz:Left~~ To show their disgust with the current approach to the electoral reform process but at the same time put forward their willingness to participate in the process, once it undertakes an impartial form, the PAM has produced a document, which rivals the “White Paper” entitled “Democracy through Free and Fair Elections”.
The PAM underlined their claims of partiality with regards to the electoral reform process, with other allegations that include boundaries fixing and a corrupt voters’ list, which they claim has over 5000 duplicate voters.
“None of us can afford to be complicit in the fraud that Labor is perpetrating against the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and calling it Electoral Reform,” Grant concluded.
Grant was joined at the head table by his Party’s Chairman, Mr. Eugene Hamilton, and Parliamentarian, Hon. Shawn Richards.
Electoral reform has been an issue with the previous PAM Administration and the present Labour Party Administration. En route to ensure that the process takes on a transparent approach, the Labour Party commenced a process in 2006.
An Electoral Reform Consultative Committee was set up to solicit the views of the general public. The report from that committee was then passed on to the National Advisory Electoral Reform and Boundaries Committee.
Following their findings, a report was then submitted to the Parliamentary Constitutional and Electoral Reform and Boundaries Committee.
Their findings will then be forwarded to the Boundaries Technical Commission, for further evaluation, then it goes before the Constituency Boundaries Commission.
