BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) will be hosting a peaceful protest/march tomorrow (Mar. 26) in a lobby for democracy and a free and fair electoral process.
Deputy Leader of the CCM and Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition Benches in the Federal Parliament, the Hon. Mark Brantley, told this media house that impetus for this action is the recent ruling of the Nevis Circuit Court in the election petition case.
Brantley’s case cited – among other things - gross irregularities in the electoral process through the illegal removal of approximately 200 names from the Voter’s List and a breach of his constitutional right to freedom of expression.
His Lordship Justice Lionel Jones ruled – in part – that the July11, 2011 election in Nevis Two (St. Johns) is null and void. That seat was contested by Brantley and Deputy Premier the Hon. Hensley Daniel of the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP).
“We are obviously motivated by the sitting of the high court which has established emphatically that the gross electoral irregularities that happened last year in Nevis have now rendered that election invalid, null and void. And we feel that it is an opportune time for us to draw attention locally, regionally and internationally to the real difficulties that are being experienced where those in authority continue to frustrate the will of the people and continue to deny us the true essence of democracy.”
Brantley explained that the march is scheduled to commence at 2:00 p.m., would wind its way around the island’s capital and ends at 5:00 p.m. with a rally at the Public Square in Charlestown.
According to Brantley, a ferry will be providing free service to and from Nevis for persons residing on St. Kitts who wish to lend their support to this cause.
“I am told that the Sea Hustler will be running free of cost for people who wish to come over to Nevis. I think it leaves St. Kitts at 2:00 p.m. and then it returns after the event is over. So people from St. Kitts who are desirous of joining us and lending their voices to this cause, obviously they are welcome to come over and that ferry service is being provided for them.
“We are inviting all the people who can be there from Sandy Point to Cayon, from Brown Hill to Bath, wherever they are, to come out and participate in that march. This is our country and we are having a march for democracy and we want to have thousands of people on the streets tomorrow demonstrating in Nevis.”
