Speaking to the Department of Information from his Bath Plain Office, the Premier said, in despite the Court of Appeal Election Petition Case decision, which was handed down on Monday (27th August), “the people of Nevis are calm, and persons are going about their business as usual.”
However, since the verdict, information has come to him (the Premier) that members of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) have visited the Governor General, Dr. Cuthbert Sebastian, seeking an election date to be set, and other decisions to be made by the Governor General.
“The CCM very well know that it is the Premier of Nevis who deals with an election date, but they have gone to the Governor General to advise that elections should be called in 21 days because tension is rising in Nevis”, said the Premier.
Premier Parry called on the people of Nevis to condemn what he called “such irresponsible and bombastic behaviour”.
“The Opposition in Nevis and (Mark) Brantley (in particular) must understand that the type of behaviour that he has introduced into Nevis in relation to politics is alien to the island’s lifestyle and its usual way of life,” the Premier said.
With the court decision, both CCM and the ruling Nevis reformation Party now occupy two seats each in the 5 member Island Assembly. The court decided that the seat previously held by NRP’s Hensley Daniel, must be vacated because the election of 11th July, 2011 was null and void, due to certain irregularities that transpired, causing 203 persons to be denied their right to vote in the poll.
As a result, the Premier of Nevis has two options. Either to call a by election to fill the vacant seat in the St. John’s constituency, or request of the Governor General that the entire Assembly be dissolved and an election be called in all five constituencies. In any case, the premier has only 90 days in which to make such a decision.
From recent comments he has made, he appears to favour a general election in the five districts, but he indicated that that is not a decision he has made and is still reviewing all options.