Richards says they will not...
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE next sitting of Parliament is scheduled for Wednesday (Jul. 17), and while some people are firm in their belief that a proposal for changes in the Electoral Boundaries would to be laid before the law-making body, others suggest that it does not seem possible.
At the last sitting (Jul. 8), six Bills were passed and it is expected that those which were scheduled to be dealt with would be addressed on Wednesday, but with the exception of the No Confidence Motion.
The Boundaries Commission met on Tuesday (Jul. 9) and SKNVibes understands that a follow-up meeting is scheduled for sometime this week. However, unconfirmed reports suggest that its members have yet to get to the stage where an official report is drafted, either for or against the changes.
The Commission is made up of two members from the Government Benches, the Hon. Dr. Earl Asim Martin and the Hon. Marcella Liburd; two from the Opposition Benches, the Hon. Vance Amory and the Hon. Vincent Byron Jr.; and headed by Peter Jenkins.
It is rumoured that among the proposals are changes to Constituencies Number Five, Six, Seven and Eight.
SKNVibes understands that a proposal was made to have Constituency Number Five (Sandy Point) supplemented by attaching portions of Constituency Number Six to it. Therefore, it would mean that Constituency Number Five would consist of Sandy Point, Newton Ground and a part of St. Paul’s.
And the remaining segment of Constituency Number Six would be pegged to Constituency Number Seven. Effectively, Constituency Number Six would end somewhere in the area of Christ Church.
Reports further suggest that Constituency Number Eight, which comprises the St. Peter’s area (including Conaree), Keys and Cayon, would no longer include Cayon.
It is suggested that Cayon would be attached to the remaining portion of Constituency Number Seven.
With a view to ascertaining the authenticity of this information, SKNVibes contacted the Commission’s Chairman, Jenkins, who indicated that since he had not discussed with his colleagues a course of action as it relates to what information should be given to the media, he would prefer not to speak on the matter.
“To be honest with you, I really would have to discuss those with my colleagues; discuss whatever is the procedure we are following, and whatever is the decision or contemplation before I even venture to think that I could say anything to the public. Because, we have been working on it for a while and I would like to discuss with them whatever is to be said to the media. We have not done so and, out of respect, I don’t think I should say anything.”
The Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher Five and Leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM), the Hon. Shawn K. Richards, was interviewed on Monday last (Jul. 8) about the Opposition’s stance of not participating in Parliament unless the Motion of No Confidence is tabled and debated.
SKNVibes questioned Richards on what the Opposition would do if on one of the occasions when they would have foregone attending Parliament a draft proclamation for Boundary Changes is laid before the law-making body.
He succinctly replied, “There will be no boundary changes in this country.”
Questioned about what action would be taken to prevent any boundary changes from taking place, the political party’s Leader repeated his previous statement.
In 2009, an attempt was made to shift the boundaries, which were last changed in the 1980s by the PAM-led administration, and it was thwarted by court action initiated by Messrs. Richards and Lindsay Grant, the former Leader of PAM.
