Electoral Reform Secretariat
Church Street
Basseterre
St. Kitts


ERCC DISCUSSES ITS METHOD OF ELICITING AND RECORDING INFORMATION

Basseterre, St. Kitts (September 26, 2006): Electoral Reform Consultative Committee (ERCC) members at the Town Hall Meeting in Molineux last night elucidated how they execute their mandate of eliciting and recording information gleaned in the St. Kitts and Nevis Electoral Reform Exercise.

ERCC Chairman Elvis Newton; Douglas Wattley, and Clement “Bouncin” Williams conducted a Town Hall Meeting at the Molineux primary school while other members of the committee - that consists also of Clive Bacchus; Elvin Bailey; Clifford Thomas, and Mutryce Williams - held a concurrent public consultation in New Castle, Nevis.

Forty-two minutes into the Molineux meeting, a man walked up to the microphone. “I just came in so I would like to hear some ideas first from you all before I make a presentation,” he told the committee members.

“What kind of ideas do you want?,” Chairman Newton asked. “Let me explain something. Let me just explain to you: our committee is really not intended to provide ideas; the ideas should come from you.”

Making a reference to Louis Cannonier, the previous speaker, Mr. Newton continued, “You see how your colleague stood up and spoke eloquently?” He added, “What we want persons to do is to identify the problems that they have with the current electoral system.”

The ERCC Chairman elaborated, “For example, this evening so far we have heard that Nationals living abroad should not come home to vote. Somebody wants that right to be abolished. We have heard that there is a need for an identification for voters, and the features should include your name, your address, your date of birth, a photo, and fingerprint, if possible. Somebody has said fingerprint, only if the persons are not able to sign their names. Then the two [previous] speakers have identified the need to have your signature on the voters’ I.D. The two speakers have also been very strong about the need for voters to vote where they live, but an additional issue came forth, in that Mr. Cannonier identified the fact that he is from Phillips’s. He has been voting in Phillips’s. If he now moves to Lodge, then by virtue of the fact that he’s from Phillips’s and he has voted in Phillips’s before then he should continue voting in Phillips’s, if he so wishes.

“The other gentleman [who said his name is Donald “Country Boy” “Momma Chile” Isaac] who spoke earlier had said that there was a need for persons to transfer their names so that they vote where they live. Mr. Cannonier also has identified the fact that once a Kittitian or Nevisian becomes a naturalized citizen of another country then they ought not to have the right to continue voting in St. Kitts and Nevis. However, if you are not naturalized then you should continue voting, but if you want to be re-registered you have to come home to do the re-registration, and he’s saying that on no account should taxpayers’ money send for people to come back home to vote. Another issue that he raised was the fact that he would want the re-registration to occur before any changes to the boundaries.

“Those are the ideas, which came forth from your colleagues; not from us,” affirmed Mr. Newton, “and so that should bring you up to speed on the comments that you need to make.”

Fifty-six minutes into the meeting, ERCC member Mr. Williams made an attempt to draw the attendees out who had not spoken. “Anybody else?,” he asked. “Let’s hear from the teacher lady behind there, no. You must have an opinion.” There was a lull for about 10 seconds then a man in the audience said off microphone that, “The name calling got the people staying back, you know. It’s the instituting of the names that got these people sitting back. Some people don’t want their names to be called.”

“No, no, no, no,” said Mr. Williams. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to say your name, sorry," he said, seemingly apologizing for any misunderstanding. "If anybody wants to come, we have a code.

"To record what you say, we could just make up a code: blue shirt with glasses,” Mr. Williams quipped. “Anybody else who sees that wouldn’t know. You don’t have to state your name. It’s an option.”

A few minutes later Mr. Cannonier re-addressed the ERCC members, recommending that no member of Parliament should be part of a committee whose purview is the boundaries. Mr. Williams noted that Mr. Cannonier had made a “very strong point.”

Mr. Williams joked, “It sounds like you’re the mayor of Phillips’s. Are you the mayor of Phillips’s?”


Below are other communities that will have the opportunity soon to meet with the Electoral Reform Consultative Committee (ERCC). Members of the general public are welcome to attend any of the consultations between 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Please note that some meetings will be held concurrently.

Wed., Sept. 27
Eden Browne, Butler’s, and Bricklin
Venue: Dave Morton’s Church

Thurs., Sept. 28
Fountain and Mount Lily
Venue: Trinity School Hall

Thurs., Sept. 28
Middle Island to include New Guinea
Venue: Grace Gospel Hall

Mon., Oct. 2
Sandy Point, Fig Tree, and La Valley
Venue: Sandy Point High School

Mon., Oct. 2
Bath Village, parts of Stoney Ground
Venue: Albertha Payne Community Centre

Tues., Oct. 3
Gingerland (Main Street, Rawlins, Hardtimes, Zetlands, Pond Hill, Hull Ground)
Venue: Gingerland Secondary School

Wed., Oct. 4
Cayon to include Keys and Canada
Venue: Cayon Community Centre

Wed., Oct. 4
Jessups
Venue: To Be Determined

Thurs., Oct. 5
East Basseterre (New Town, Bird Rock, Harbour View, Frigate Bay, Taylor’s)
Venue: New Town Community Centre (Pond’s Pasture)

Thurs., Oct. 5
Cox, Beaumont
Venue: Mandela Centre







Contact: Valencia Grant (869-762-6177)