BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - WITH the dissolution of Parliament on Friday evening (Jan. 16), the Government has 90 days to conduct an election, according to the Constitution. But based on current activities in which the political parties are involved on both islands, Polling Day is closer than what voters might be thinking.
Political campaigns in St. Kitts and Nevis started heating up in December 2012 when the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Mark Brantley, filed a Motion of No Confidence against the Labour Administration.
Since then, two other similar Motions were filed by other members of the Opposition with none of them seeing the light of day in Parliament, which led to drawn-out Court battles that are still being fought.
However, since the turn of 2015, it has been noted that the political temperature had significantly increased with the respective candidates involved in not only political meetings throughout both islands, but also house-to-house visitations have increased as each candidate aims to secure the votes of constituents within their respective constituencies.
Also, another observation, is the advertisement of free concerts by political parties as well as rumours of other similar events in the near future.
One concerning point however, is the constituency boundaries issue that has left individual voters confused as to whether or not they have been realigned or have remained the same.
However, with the current Court case to determine the validity of the recent changes, this could prove pivotal in the campaign and result in an even longer battle even after the elections.
The temperature is set to get even higher as this publication believes that the Prime Minister, in a matter of a few weeks, will conduct the traditional ringing of the bell to announce the elections’ date.
It is also believed that the elections will be held in the middle of February on a date that will accommodate overseas voters.
Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, in a Labour Party political meeting in Lime Kiln on Sunday evening (Jan. 18), indicated when the bell would be rung.
“It has been written and it has been said that the bell,which will ring in the National Elections for 2015 in St. Kitts and Nevis, shall not appear on the stage more than three times before it is rung. Tonight it appears for the first time..."
