Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 2nd, 2020 (ZIZ News):
By: Chaïra Flanders
We have an update on the court case challenging the results of the June 2020 General elections in Constituency #1.
ZIZ understands that just before 6 p.m on Friday October 2, the Court completed segregating all the rejected ballots which were then copied by the Assistant Registrar for distribution to Counsel for all parties for further scrutiny.
This process of submissions allows the High Court Judge to deliver his final determination in the matter.
Leading up to news time, both parties agreed to file a schedule describing the number of rejected ballots and the nature and position of the mark on each rejected ballot. The court took a short adjournment to allow for the copying of the ballots.
During this time, our newsroom reached out to PAM candidate Ian Liburd who when asked about the developments in the case, said, “I remain optimistic that justice would prevail in this matter”, during a brief adjournment.
In the petition, there were 98 rejected votes, 60 were in favour of Mr. Liburd.
ZIZ was unable to contact current Parliamentary Representative for Constituency #1, the Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley for a statement.
]]>September 25th 2020 (ZIZ News) The High Court Judge has granted an application to examine the rejected ballots for Constituency #1 in the June 2020 elections.
This is the latest development following a hearing on Friday morning in the case brought by PAM candidate Ian Liburd challenging the results of Constituency #1.
ZIZ has learned that the Judge has ordered that on October 2 at 9am the rejected ballots will be inspected in order for him to verify the claim that of the 98 rejected votes, 60 were in favour of Mr. Liburd.
On that day, In the presence of the legal teams the Assistant Registrar along with the Supervisor of Elections will open the ballot boxes and examine the rejected votes one by one.
The judge will then determine if each vote is valid after submission from the legal teams.
Ambassador Ian Liburd was unavailable for comment this morning but current parliamentary representative for Constituency #1, the Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley told ZIZ News “I am extremely confident that the result will not change”.
]]>BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, August 27, 2020 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — The Peoples Labour Party (PLP), one of the three parties in the ruling Team Unity Administration, is seeking to further strengthen the party at the grassroots and has embarked on a series of meetings with the membership at the constituency level.
Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Labour Party, Mr Craig Tuckett, on Wednesday August 26 presided over the first meeting held by the PLP East Basseterre Constituency Branch Executive which was held at the Old Boys’ School on Victoria Road in Basseterre.
“I represented the National Executive of the Peoples Labour Party here at the PLP East Basseterre Constituency Number One Group meeting where we presented to them the responsibilities, according to the Constitution, and the composition of the constituency group,” said Mr Tuckett.
The members were updated on how they are to function and the benefits that would be derived by an active group towards the development of not only the party and strengthening the party, and strengthening Team Unity by extension, but also building out the party for any eventuality that may arise politically in terms of support of Team Unity.
“So I presented on that, and also spoke to the political activities that a constituency group should engage, which is to win the hearts and minds of the people, also to afford them the opportunity to access the government resources to make their lives better and also at the same time to build out a larger base of support for the Peoples Labour Party,” explained Mr Tuckett.
The meeting was also addressed by the immediate former Area Parliamentary Representative for St. Christopher One, East Basseterre, and former Cabinet Minister, Ambassador His Excellency Ian Patches Liburd who told them of opportunities available in the Constituency coming as a result of government-funded projects in the area.
“First of all I commended them for their efforts of coming together even at this time, very early in the second term of Team Unity and to really forewarn them that five years is not a long time in politics, so you can’t be complacent,” noted Ambassador Liburd.
He reminded the meeting of the importance of staying together as a Team Unity, noting that looking at individual parties before the 2015 General Elections, the Labour Party commanded the larger share of support, “but in coming together in Team Unity is what made the difference and it was a turning point in the history of St. Kitts and Nevis, and once we continue to stay together, we will ensure that the transformation and the development of the country continues.”
The meeting had been called by Chairman of the PLP Constituency Number One Executive Branch, Mr Cante Bowry, who said the meetings had been mandated by the PLP’s National Political Leader, Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris. Invited to the meeting were all the members in the PLP Constituency Number One’s database.
According to Mr Bowry, the PLP’s National Chairman Mr Warren Thompson, the National Secretary Ms Myrtilla Williams, and the Deputy National Chairman Mr Craig Tuckett have been mandated to take lead in organising the meetings in all the PLP Constituency Branches.
“So today was the beginning of that, and we thank God and our members for coming out,” said Mr Bowry. “We are looking to meet once a month so we can continue with the build out of the party and basically get the Peoples Labour Party more vibrant.”
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 21, 2020 (SKNIS): With the continued emphasis on upgrading public infrastructure within the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, the St. Kitts Water Services Department is upgrading existing pipelines in St. Paul’s.
Assistant Water Engineer at the St. Kitts Water Services Department, Ryan Phillip, said this during an interview at St. Paul’s on July 20.
“The water services department in partnership with Surrey Paving is undertaking a project to replace existing pipelines (cast iron pipelines) and replacing them with PVC material that is more durable and hopefully can last longer than the current ones,” Mr. Phillip.
He further highlighted that the Water Services Department is undertaking this project at this time because Surrey Paving is in the process of renovating the island main road.
This infrastructural upgrade was first highlighted by the former Minister of Public Infrastructure, Ian Patches Liburd, who stated in Parliament on July 30 that “in today’s world, we should not have asbestos pipes transmitting water.”
As such, the Government replaced approximately 12 kilometres of asbestos pipes and estimated to spend another 6.2 million dollars to address another eight miles of asbestos pipes that lie under the island main road.
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, June 08, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris has saluted outgoing Federal ministers, Mr. Ian Patches Liburd and Mr. Vance Amory, for their invaluable service to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, particularly over the last five years as members of the Team Unity-led Cabinet.
The official result from the Friday, June 05 General Elections for Constituency #1 saw Mr. Liburd just falling short of defending his seat in the National Assembly. Mr. Amory, who in 2017 handed over the leadership of the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) to his successor the Honourable Mark Brantley, is retiring from active politics.
During his swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, June 07, Prime Minister Harris described Mr. Liburd as the “busiest Minister of Public Infrastructure” the country has seen in a very long time.
“You have seen his work all through St. Kitts and Nevis—in our roads, our bus lines, our ferry terminal etcetera, etcetera—as he did such a fantastic job in building out the infrastructure and utilities of our country. The transformational second cruise pier and the work that is happening at Old Road, all these things, when the history is being written, will be well recorded,” said Dr. Harris.
Prime Minister Harris was also in high praise of Mr. Amory, whom he long regarded as a trusted friend and a constant source of wisdom for him throughout his first term as the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Vance Amory served as a former premier, and in fact was the leader of the Concerned Citizens Movement when in November 2013, we agreed publicly at Greenlands that we shall come together and that Dr. Timothy Harris shall lead this movement…and I want to thank him. He was not at the launch in Greenlands, but he had worked very hard with us before he traveled to London and so his commitment to the Unity has long been well established,” the honourable prime minister commented.
Dr. Harris said he looks forward to both Mr. Liburd and Mr. Amory’s continuing service in public life and thanked them both “as they exit the realm of ministerial portfolios.”
In the first term of the Team Unity Government, Mr. Liburd served as Minister responsible for Public Infrastructure, Post Urban Development, and Transport while Mr. Amory served as Senior Minister and Minister of Nevis Affairs, Labour, Social security, and Ecclesiastical Affairs.
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