BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ON the eve (Jan. 21) of Nevis’ Elections, the two major political parties, the Concerned Citizen Movement (CCM) and the Nevis Reformation Party, were rallying whatever final support they can muster before Polling Day, today (Jan. 22).
The CCM rally was held at White Hall in Bricklin and, according to one of their candidates, the crowd was excited and determined to put their party in power.
Keith Scarborough, popularly known as Dis ‘N’ Dat and is running in the St. Thomas Parish, told SKNVibes that he has been a supporter of CCM since 1986 and that he has never seen the type of energy before as he did last night.
“Even though we have been in power for 14 years, this is the first time I’ve seen such a reaction in an election. What we’re witnessing here is people who have basically taken over the campaign itself because they are frustrated and angry and have come out in their numbers to send a very strong message to the Nevis Reformation Party that they have had enough.”
Scores of vehicles lined the streets and the field where the event was held, as a large crowd turned out to either show their support for the party and/or listen to the message from Jah Messenger’s Luciano, Jamaica’s reggae star.
Luciano gave a mellow performance belting out some of his thought-provoking reggae tunes, stirring emotions and creating a oneness among the attendees.
The songs he sang included ‘In this together’, ‘For the leaders’ and even some of Bob Marley’s tunes, specifically ‘Redemption Song’.
He encouraged the people to go out and vote as they had a decision to be made.
Along with Scarborough, former Premier and Leader of the CCM, Vance Amory; Deputy Leader Mark Brantley; Alexis Jeffers; and Spencer Brand all spoke before the massive crowd, giving their final appeals for voters to vote in their favour.
Scarborough said that he was very confident about voting day.
“The people of Nevis would have recognised that in spite of all done in the court in 2012, we’re still seeing the Reformation Party showing total disrespect for law and order, and trying at this last minute to still disenfranchise their own people. And the people had become angry at that fact and you’ve seen it this evening in tonight’s rally.
“I am very confident about the elections tomorrow. But not only that for some strange reason if the Nevis Reformation Party were to steal this election as they did last year, I am saddened to say the reaction would be terrible. Simply because the people of Nevis would have known this time around they would have actually steal as they did the last time. But to come and do it a second time, I don’t think it will be accepted by the people of Nevis.And that is what I saw and heard in the audience tonight,” he said.
Voting began on Nevis at 6:00 a.m. today.
