Thursday, April 01, 2004

St. Kts: Bird flown, Douglas next

The Antigua and Barbuda election has come and gone. A new government is being installed and Antiguans are celebrating. Their former Prime Minister had become noted for his abuse of power and when eventually he realized that he had to show some accountability to those who elected him, it was too late.
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Those commenting on the election attributed the lack of violence to the fact that this was a ‘clean election’ and it was ‘clean’ because of the electoral reform and Voter ID regulation.

In St. Kitts, Prime Minister Douglas is still refusing to initiate electoral reform or even Voter ID although the call is being made by nearly every section of society and although it was one of the promises made in his own Labour Party manifesto. The People’s Action Movement has confirmed that several regional and international institutions stand ready and willing to assist technically and financially if requested to do so. But when quizzed about the ‘foot dragging’ on this issue at a public forum, the Prime Minister arrogantly blurted out “I will not be pressured into implementing electoral reform.”  Apparently even the Prime Minister’s own Manifesto has now become an agent of pressure.

Depriving the electorate of their right to have Voter ID - a right most if not all CARICOM countries have given to their nationals - is an arrogant abuse power!

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