BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH Polling Day on Nevis getting into full swing, the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) has taken issue with a situation, claiming that its agents in a particular constituency were unable to inspect the ballot boxes before voting had begun, because they were denied access to the polling stations.
This publication understands that the CCM’s agents attached to the St. John’s Constituency encountered some difficulty when they arrived at their various posts this morning (Jan. 22).
Chairman of the CCM Stedmond Tross – in an interview with this publication - said he has some difficulty understanding what transpired, especially since he had personally submitted the list of the names of all CCM’s agents for all five constituencies on the deadline (Jan. 15). And that all agents, barring those of the St. John’s Constituency, were allowed to enter the polling stations for pre-voting inspection of the ballot boxes.
“The requirement is that each agent for the different parties is to inspect the boxes to make sure that everything is as they are supposed to be. Our agents for St. John’s turned up and they were not allowed in to the polling stations because they didn’t have the required letter. I spoke with the Supervisor of Elections concerning the situation and he told me that the Returning Officer had already left to instruct the Presiding Officers that they must allow the people to go in.”
He said some 10 minutes later – and with polling already on its way – the CCM’s agents had not yet received access to the stations.
Tross explained that assistance was asked of Myrna Walwyn, a member of the three-member Electoral Commission, after which the agents were allowed to enter the stations.
The CCM’s contention, however, as verbalised by Tross is, “God knows what took place before our agents were allowed to go in. That is not good. Elections must not only be fair but they must also appear to be fair.”
SKNVibes contacted Walwyn with the hope of interviewing her on this situation, but she indicated that she was engaged and could not have entertained a conversation at that time.
Tross told SKNVibes that the CCM does not yet know what action it will take - if any - but indicated that the party would be accordingly advised.
