BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Jan 17, 2015, CNS – Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas Friday night announced that he had asked the Governor General Sir Edmund Wickham Lawrence to dissolve parliament with immediate effect paving the way for the general elections in St. Kitts-Nevis.
In a brief statement, Prime Minister Douglas said that the date for the general election would be “announced at a later date”
He said that earlier on Friday, the National Assembly met in emergency session to debate the draft proclamation relating to the changes in the constituency boundaries.
“The draft proclamation was approved by resolution of the National Assembly. Subsequently, the draft proclamation with accompanying resolution was submitted to His Excellency the Governor General and a proclamation in the terms of the recommended draft was gazetted today 16th January 2015.
“I hereby now announce that I have advised His Excellency the Governor General to dissolve the Parliament, the National Assembly, effective today 16th January 2015 to give effect to the proclamation which has realigned the constituency boundaries of St. Christopher and Nevis.
“The date of the General Election in St. Christopher and Nevis shall therefore be announced at a later date,” Prime Minister Douglas said.
Earlier opposition legislators had sought unsuccessfully to prevent the resolution on the boundaries being debated with opposition legislator Sam Condor, a senior official of the recently formed People’s Labour Party (PLP) describing the move as an affront to democracy.
Prime Minister Douglas is seeking a fifth consecutive term in office and has already indicated that his SKNLP would be victorious in the polls.
In the 2010 general election, the SKNLP won six seats, as against two for the People’s Action Movement (PAM), two for the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM). The Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) won one seat.
