St Kitts And Nevis Election Credible, But Reforms Needed

The October 2004 general election in St Kitts and Nevis was credible but the electoral process is in need of reform, according to a report by an independent Commonwealth Expert Team released on 12 November 2004.

The team was sent to St Kitts and Nevis by Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon, who stated: "The judgement of this Expert Team was that the general election was credible and that the result reflected the will of those who voted.

"At the same time, the report recommends reform in a number of key areas. These include the arrangements for voter registration, the identification of voters, balance in media reporting and the demarcation of constituencies.

"I hope that the Government and the Electoral Commission will give serious consideration to the report's recommendations. The Commonwealth Secretariat stands ready to help."

The decision to send the experts followed an invitation from the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis. The team comprised David Thompson, Member of Parliament, Barbados, and James Morrison, Member of the Association of Electoral Administrators, United Kingdom, supported by two staff members of the Secretariat. They observed the preparations for the general election, the polling, counting and results process, and the overall electoral environment.

The full text of the Expert Team's report on the 2004 general election in St Kitts and Nevis is available at http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=141411.

CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service  Issue 210  17 November 2004