Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
Conduct of the St. Kitts Federal Election
May 29th, 2020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs); in the Federation wishes to express grave its concern with the manner in which the Federal Elections on June 5th, 2020 will be conducted with regards to the accommodation of the physical presence of regional and international Observers on the ground in the Federation to monitor the election process.

The NGO Coalition comprised of the Christian Council, Evangelical Association and the St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce alongside the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association neither has the human resources nor the training and experience that are required to manage, undertake, and comprehensively report on our own on the 2020 Federal Elections.

Despite our limited resources, knowledge and training to be observers in the Elections, the Coalition is committed to executing its civic duty in sensitizing and reminding all parties, voters and media on the Ethical Guidelines and Code of Conduct for the Political Process signed in October of 2009 by the NGOs and political parties to encourage a free and fair election process. We will continue to use our respective platforms to provide information and educate the electorate, the candidates, the general public and media houses in this regard.

We are aware that we are in unprecedented times and that government has written to the OAS and CARICOM inviting them to observe our elections process. Notwithstanding, the obvious health concerns, we suggest that the lessons learned from the recent elections held in Suriname where special protocols were put in place to accommodate the physical presence of the observers on the ground be adopted for our elections immediately.

Christian Council

St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry & Commerce

St. Kitts Nevis Bar Association

Evangelical Association