It is past two years since the Federation’s Attorney General and Minister with responsibility for elections, Sen. the Hon. Vincent Byron closed the electoral offices in St. Kitts and Nevis and announced a police investigation that involved forensic investigators from London.
Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas is asking Senator Byron, the youngest brother of Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron for the report.
Dr. Douglas said that during the closure, hundreds of citizens and residents who attained the age of 18, were deprived of their constitutional rights to register to vote.
The Electoral Office in St. Kitts was re-opened on June 1, 2015 and the office in Nevis on July 20, 2015.
Dr. Douglas said despite a lame excuse of an enquiry taking place, no report has been made public despite repeated promises from Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris and Attorney General Byron.
“Two years after, not even one word of their findings,” said Dr. Douglas, during his weekly radio call-in programme “Ask the Leader” on Kyss 102.5 FM on Tuesday.
Five weeks after the closure, the Attorney General said on April 4, 2015 that “computers at the Electoral Office were being accessed externally” and that the investigation has involved the police.” He said the office was sealed, and the police have been conducting interviews and that the investigation was nearing the end.
On June 2nd 2015, a day after the Electoral Office in St. Kitts reopened its doors to the general public, the Attorney General reported that the findings was given to the police and that the Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Superintendent Charles Smitten had been heading the investigation.
He also said that certain revelations that had occurred have led to an expansion of the investigation by the police and also by a team of forensic investigators that were brought in from London. The team had been looking at damaged computer servers and equipment.”
On February 18, 2016 report, WINNFM quoted Labour Party chairperson Hon. Marcella Liburd as saying the Party “welcomed the investigations” but noted that to date no further reports have been made to the public in regards to the outcome.”
Ms. Liburd also told WINNFM that the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party was awaiting the results on the promised probes.
On April 23rd 2016, SKNIS in a press release stated that Attorney General Byron said the investigation “is still ongoing.”
Two years after the last general election the newly appointed three-man St. Kitts and Nevis Electoral Boundaries Commission has not had a meeting,
Last month, Dr. Denzil L, Douglas expressed concerns over several breaches of the constitution by the Attorney General and accused Byron of hatching plans to prevent persons who live overseas from voting as required by the election laws since 1984.
Speaking on the topic “Protecting the Electoral Franchise” at a Town Hall Meeting organised by his SKNLP, Dr. Douglas the right to vote has been won as a result of enormous struggle, loss of lives and bloodshed.
He said a statement by the Attorney General that the government intends to scrap the present Register of Voters and start an enumeration exercise will result in the disenfranchisement of eligible voters.
“If you are not present in your home, if you are at work, or your daughter or son has gone overseas to study, it means that his or her name will be removed. We will not accept those things sitting down,” said Dr. Douglas, who added that if the new enumeration exercise is conducted in the way the Attorney General conducted the affairs of the Electoral Office by shutting it down for several months claiming that he is doing a investigation and two years after the investigation report has been completed.
“Let them know that we will not sit down and accept it in our county,” said Dr. Douglas, to the tumultuous applause of the large crowd.