BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE suggestion made by lawyer Vincent ‘Juicy’ Byron, a member of the Electoral Boundaries Commission, to hold consultations with the residents of constituencies that stand to be majorly affected by the proposed boundary changes has been denied.
Byron, who spoke with SKNVibes in a telephone interview on yesterday (July 29), indicated that consultations with the populace are not mandatory for the Commission but he felt it was necessary, given the drastic nature of some of the proposed boundary changes.
According to popular suggestions and according to Byron, changes have been proposed for Constituencies One, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Eight on St. Kitts and Nine and Ten on Nevis.
“I made a very strong case for the decision for the recommendations to be discussed in consultation with members of communities that would be most affected, and I singled out the Cayon/St. Peters and that they should have an input to such a significant change to their constituency. I also pointed out the Constituency of the Hon. Timothy Harris who had been the representative for 18 years. That now is totally changed and that change should have been discussed with the residents of that Constituency.
“I also mentioned Constituency Number Six, where it is going to be divided into two, as well as Constituency Number Five…So it was my view that there should be consultation with the communities that are affected.”
Byron told SKNVibes his request that the Commission vote on whether or not consultations should be had resulted in him being “voted down”.
He indicated – nonetheless – that “it was agreed that once the draft report was prepared, we would go to the public to sensitise the public as to the changes that would be occurring”.
Asked whether or not the draft report had already been compiled, Byron said doubts that that is the case because a decision was made at the Commission’s last meeting that the Chairman would draft the report and distribute it to members of the Commission before any further action is to be taken.
And at the time of that interview, that particular condition had not yet been met.
“We had decided that the Chairman would go and prepare a draft report, which would then be circulated to the other members of the Commission for comment. Decisions had been taken on that day with regard to the changes that would be had in Nevis as well as the changes in St. Kitts. And that would form the basis of the draft report….
“So I would be surprised if any other step would be had before the Commission had received the draft report. We all have to review it and sign it if we are in favour of it. Then it would go on to the Governor General and from there to the Prime Minister.”
