BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - FORMER Government Minister Dwyer Astaphan is of the view that Commonwealth students pursuing tertiary education in the Federation should not be allowed to vote in any general elections in St. Kitts and Nevis.
While speaking on Operations Rescue’s radio programme the ‘Operating Room’ aired on WINN FM on Tuesday (Oct. 22), Astaphan claimed that though the Constitution has provision that gives Commonwealth citizens eligibility to vote, Commonwealth students in the Federation are not considered residents and should not be allowed to do such.
“You compound the felony by seeking to encourage maybe eight or nine hundred Commonwealth citizens attending locally-based tertiary institutions, when under the Immigration Act they are categorised as permitted entrants, given six months at a time or it could be more. But even if you give more time, the extra time does not change the classification from permitted entrance to one of the five listed classification of residents.
“How can people of St. Kitts and Nevis sit back to allow themselves to be cheated of the government they want?”
He also highlighted the discrepancies with overseas voting.
“If overseas voters are allowed to register wherever they please, despite the fact that, in my opinion, it is not every overseas citizen who has the right to register and vote, if you add to that of people living, let’s say Number Six and registering in Four or Three or Two although they do not reside there, you are making a nonsense of the constituency system.”
Astaphan however stated that the public ought to be vigilant if they wish to see democracy prevail.
“The laws we have are not perfect, but under the present laws it is clear to me that if the people of the country are being properly vigilant and really care about their democracy, and if registration officers and the chief registration officer who is the supervisor of elections and members of the electoral commission, if they really care about democracy and want to ensure and we have a peaceful process... and including the next election they will take every possible measure to ensure that people are legitimately registered .
Section 29 of the Constitution outlines the criteria that makes one eligible for voting.
Every Commonwealth citizen of the age of eighteen years or upward who possesses such qualifications relating to residence or domicile in Saint Christopher and Nevis as Parliament may prescribe shall, unless he is disqualified by Parliament from registration as such, be entitled to be registered as a voter for the purpose of electing Representatives in one (but not more than one) constituency in accordance with the provisions of any law in that behalf and no other person may be registered as such.
(3) Every person who is registered under subsection (2) in any constituency shall, unless he is disqualified by Parliament from voting in any election of Representatives or of members of the Nevis Island Assembly, be entitled so to vote in that constituency in accordance with the provisions of any law in that behalf and no other person may so vote.
(4) In any election of Representatives the votes shall be given by ballot in such manner as not to disclose how any particular person votes.
