CCM to file election petition
CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – IN what can be termed a very closely-contested election, the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) this morning (July 12) returned to power and the Premier-designate, Joseph Parry, has declared today a holiday.
Shortly before midnight, the NRP’s candidates for St. Paul’s and St. Thomas, Robelto Hector and Joseph Parry, respectively, comfortably retained their seats while Leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) Vance Amory whipped his opponent to keep St. George’s Constituency under his belt.
The first of the NRP’s victorious candidates was Hector, who tallied 822 votes against CCM’s Michael Perkins with 619. There were four rejected ballots.
Second was the party’s Leader, Parry, who beat CCM’s newcomer Keith ‘Dis n’b’ Dat’ Scarborough by a very wide margin. The veteran politician has championed the District Five seat since 1987 and gained 535 against his opponent’s 173.
In retaining his St. George’s seat that he has held for some 14 years, Amory, like Parry, with a very wide margin, thrashed Patsy Hanley. The past Premier gained 753 votes to Hanley’s 246. There were two spoilt votes in this constituency.
Described as one of the hottest contested seats of the election, CCM’s newcomer Alexis Jeffers whipped the Federation’s Attorney-General and NRP’s candidate Patrice Nisbett by 33 votes to be the new representative for the St. James’ Parish. He tallied 833 votes with four rejected ballots.
The stage was then set for the grand finale between the two heavyweights, NRP’s Deputy Leader Hensley Daniel and CCM’s Deputy Leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Federal House of Assembly Mark Brantley, as the contesting parties were deadlocked on two victories.
However, even before the results of the last of the 11 boxes for the island’s most populous district were officially announced, CCM’s Headquarters in downtown Charlestown came alive with the tooting of horns, sounds of whistles and conch shells, music blaring from a sound system as waves upon waves of supporters bedecked in blue started a victory celebration.
Brantley at that time was leading Daniel by 116 votes and it was rumoured that he had won by 20 votes.
Suffice to say, the celebration which started shortly before 4:00 a.m. was short-lived as the Supervisor of Elections announced that Daniel had gained 1 358 votes against Brantley’s 1 344 with 14 rejected ballots.
With this announcement, another celebration started, but this time it was on Main Street, Charlestown where NRP’s supporters bedecked in green were seen waving flags and dancing on the streets.
SKNVibes was told that Amory said he would not concede defeat because there were too many irregularities.
It was also announced on the airwaves that “Theodore Hobson will be in his office from 10:00 a.m.” to accommodate all those constituents who were disenfranchised.
