SKNLP votes soared to 38 percent, PLP falls to 12 percent

THE St. Kitts Nevis Labour party (SKNLP) of Dr Terrance Drew garnered 12,186 votes from the 21, 395 of St Kitts residents who exercised their franchise last Friday in the national elections.

Dr Drew and his party did not contest the three parliamentary seats available in the sister island of Nevis.

In the process, Drew and his SKNLP political party toppled the seven-year-old administration of Dr Timothy Harris which secured a mere 4,623 ballots or 12.15 percent in favour of his People’s Labour Party (PLP) which triumphed in 2015 and 2020.

But Harris’ ties to shady characters, coupled with complaints of rampant malfeasance from the public, and within his cabinet, helped topple his three-party coalition.

Harris’ unpopular social and economic policies, allegations of his personal greed, graft and grift and his proclivity for vindictiveness against enemies – real and/or perceived turned the twin-island Leeward Islands nations, and six of eight Cabinet Ministers, against the brilliant, highly-trained Caribbean accountant.

Harris and his PLP could not overcome the insurmountable hurdle of winning the polls in an atmosphere of national unpopularity and rejection of his leadership by former coalition partners, the People’s Action Movement (PAM) and the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM).

The sole independent candidate in St Kitts, popular businessman and radio host, Carlton Dupont squared off with Dr. Denzil Douglas, a titan from Constituency Six, and secured a meager four votes, or 0.01 percent.

By contrast, Douglas, a four-time consecutive winner at the nation’s polls, secured 1,926 from the total of 2341 votes. PLP’s Dr. Marc Williams secured 309 votes while PAM’s Troy Flaunders received 98 votes.

The United Labour Party (ULP) also contested and secured a total of 5 votes or 0.01 percent of the total ballots cast, while businessman, Carlton Dupont, contesting as an independent brought up the rear with a paltry four votes.

There were eight rejected votes in Constituency Six.

As the Constituency Eight candidate, PM Drew got a whopping 2,104 of the 3490 votes cast. PAM’s Chesley Hamilton and PLP’s Andrew ‘Talbo’ Bass, secured 797 and 575 votes respectively.

Eighteen persons spoiled their ballots.

Konris Maynard contesting in Constituency Three, won handsomely, securing 1747 from 2788 votes cast. PAM’s representative Kervin ‘Milo’ Freeman, notched 300, while the PLP incumbent Akila Byron-Nisbett got 720 votes.

A total of 18 votes were rejected.

More than 16,000 Kittitians and Nevisians ignored the polls with 21,395 of the 38,055 or 56.22 percent of the eligible voters, showed up in their eight constituencies to select their parliamentary representatives for the next five years.

From those who showed up last Friday, 136 of them or 0.36 percent, had their ballots rejected by the elections’ officials.

Lone female SKNLP representative, Marsha Henderson was the winner of Constituency Two securing 1841 secured of the 3316 votes cast.  PAM’s Jonel Powel trailed her with 737 ballots; PLP’s Nubian Greaux received 707 votes, and John Jeffers of the ULP got five votes with 31 rejected votes.

KNLP’s Dr.  Geoffrey Hanley won Constituency One with 1571 votes from the 2671 votes that were cast. PAM’s Natasha Grey-Brokes got 557, while PLP’s Jacqueline Bryan got 510.

Six votes were rejected.

In Constituency Four, the SKNLP dominated once again taking that constituency by a big margin. Samal Duggins secured 1269 votes from the 2343 votes that were cast. PAM’s Lindsay Grant got 761 and PLP’s Kendale Liburd mustered only 293 votes.

Constituency Seven was the lone constituency won by the PLP headed by the former Prime Minister, Dr. Timothy Harris. He secured 1266 from the 2358 votes that were cast. SKNLP’s Leon ‘Natta’ Nelson secured 903 votes with PAM’s Lincoln David Pelle mustering only 176. There were 13 rejected votes.

Despite losing Constituency Five to leader of the Peoples Action Movement (PAM) Shawn Richards who got 1025 of the 2105 votes cast, SKNLP’s Kenneth Douglas secured 825 votes. Representing the PLP was Stachio Williams, who was reported to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on suspicion of planning the death of a close relative, nevertheless won the confidence of 243 voters.

There were 11 rejected votes in that constituency.