Background

In the January 2010 General Elections which were held in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Denzil Douglas-led St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party won 6 of the 8 available seats in St. Kitts while the main opposition party, the Lindsay Grant-led People’s Action Movement won the remaining two seats.

The election campaign was riddled with accusations of treachery, corruption and conspiracies by both parties as each sought to impress upon the electorate that they were the fittest to handle the affairs of the country.

Months after the elections, rumours surfaced that members of the PAM party – Glenroy Blanchette, Roy Flemming, Bernard Welsh, Junie ‘Scrape’ Hodge and Ronald ‘Louis’ Williams – were dissatisfied with the Grant’s leadership and wanted him to relinquish his position as leader of the party; an action he did not take.

The way forward

Speaking exclusively with MiyVue, Lindsay Grant explained that although there was some controversy which involved the above mentioned five, they are still members of the People’s Action Movement. He further explained, however, that the party is in the process of seeking out candidates to run for the next general elections which are not constitutionally due for another four years.

“We are now going into the constituencies and are looking for candidates. And this happens all the time, even with persons who have been successful at the polls. How the policy works is once the elections are over, the constituencies can choose candidates…”  

He explained that the selection of candidates would be largely dependent on the constituents. “Persons have come already from all the constituencies but as I said the selection process is not a process where you just pick someone…This election process is an on-going process and that the constituents have a big part to play in it. We want to ensure that the candidates who come forward are candidates who the constituencies have some input in terms of the decisions in the process.”

The PAM leader admitted to MiyVue that the party is in a weakened state as is, but noted that he expects the party to gain momentum. He said if a situation existed where the elections were to be called shortly, he would be concerns but since that is not the case, the PAM has time enough to add to its strength.

Speaking specifically to calls which persons have made for his resignation on the grounds that he has lost his seat in two consecutive elections, Grant explained that that is just an opinion and by virtue of his re-election to the post of Leader of the PAM, he intends to continue his service to the party and the country.