The Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Christian Council and the Evangelical Association are all objecting to the government’s implied proposition that they oversee the June 5th general elections in the absence of an independent regional body. The organisational trio made their stance known in a letter dated May 28th, 2020 that sharply followed one from the Organisation of American States stating that the invitation extended by the St. Kitts-Nevis government to observe the electoral process had been rescinded.
The communique came from the three organisations and was addressed to Governor General Sir Tapley Seaton, Attorney General Hon. Vincent Byron, Leader of the SKNLP Dr. Denzil Douglas and Dr. Hazel Laws, Chief Medical Officer.
The three-party group highlighted its minimal experience in being participants of observation missions for the 2010 and 2015 general elections, noting that “the electoral observation work…was extremely limited in scope. The actual field work was carried out by less than twenty pastors from the Christian Council and the Evengelical Association,” and that logistical help was sought from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
The three organisations advised that lessons be learned from Suriname’s elections where provisions were made to accommodate the team of observers sent by the OAS. They closed by inquiring of the government that “special health protocols be put in place to ensure that the June 5 2020 general elections in St. Christopher and Nevis take place with the physical presence of the independent election observers on the ground, who would monitor and report on the process.”