2010 Saint Kitts and Nevis general election

General elections were held in Saint Kitts and Nevis on 25 January 2010 for eleven of the fourteen or fifteen seats in the National Assembly. The other three or four members of the National Assembly will be appointed by the Governor-General after the elections.

2010 Saint Kitts and Nevis general election

25 January 2010
11 of 15 seats to the National Assembly 6 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	81.2%
First party Second party   Leader Denzil Douglas Lindsay Grant Party SKNLP PAM Leader since 1989 Leader's seat St Christopher #6 St Christopher #4 (lost election) Last election 7 seats, 50.6% 1 seat, 31.7% Seats won 6 2 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 12,227 8,393 Percentage 47.0% 32.2% Swing 3.6% 0.5%   Third party Fourth party   Leader Vance Amory Joseph Parry Party CCM NRP Leader since 1987 Leader's seat Nevis #10 Did not run Last election 2 seats, 8.8% 1 seat, 7.5% Seats won 2 1 Seat change Popular vote 2,860 2,539 Percentage 11.0% 9.8% Swing 2.2% 2.3%
Prime Minister before election Denzil Douglas SKNLP Elected Prime Minister Denzil Douglas SKNLP

The ruling Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP), led by Prime Minister Denzil Douglas, won a fourth term in office.[1][2] It was opposed in the campaign by the opposition People's Action Movement (PAM), led by Lindsay Grant. Both parties received much of their support from the island of Saint Kitts, which chooses eight of the eleven elected members of the National Assembly.[3]

On the neighboring island of Nevis, local parties, including the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) and the Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM), vied for three seats in the National Assembly. Support from Nevisian political parties could decide control of the national government in a tight election.[3]

The continuing economic crisis was a major issue in the campaign.[3] The national debt of Saint Kitts and Nevis had risen to US$2 billion under the SKNLP government,[4] roughly $50,000 per citizen. Prime Minister Denzil Douglas shrugged off accusations that he had let the debt spiral upward during his fifteen years in office:

"It is important for me to state that St. Kitts and Nevis has never missed any payments on the national debt under Labour. This is very important. Many countries owe less, but are repeatedly unable to service their debt."[4]

Election background

Before the 2010 election, the Labour Party controlled seven of the eight seats allocated to the island of Saint Kitts in the Assembly. The opposition People's Action Movement (PAM) controlled the other Saint Kitts seat. From nearby Nevis, the Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) controlled two of Nevis' three seats in the Assembly, while the opposition Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) controlled the other seat.[5]

Prime Minister Douglas, speaking to a crowd of approximately 15,000 in Basseterre on 9 January 2010, announced the dates for the upcoming election. He set Nomination Day for 15 January 2010, with the general election to be held on 25 January.[5]

Voting

Armed police had to respond to protests alleging voting irregularities in the constituency where the PAM leader Lindsay Grant was up against Glen "Ghost" Phillips of the SKNLP. PAM supporters contended that "outsiders" were being brought into the Half Way Tree Community Centre, seven miles (11 km) from the capital Basseterre, to vote.[6] Elsewhere in the country, voting was reported to be calm "amidst overcast skies following some intermittent morning showers."[7]

Results

On Saint Kitts, the SKNLP won six out of the eight seats. The PAM gained a new National Assembly member, Eugene Hamilton, while PAM deputy leader Shawn Richards retained his seat.[1] Prime Minister Denzil Douglas retained his seat for Constituency Six by a margin of 1905 votes to 179.[2]

On Nevis, the Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) won two seats, with the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) taking the third.[1]

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party	10,355	37.11	2	–1
	People's Action Movement	8,067	28.91	4	0
	People's Labour Party	3,731	13.37	2	+1
	Concerned Citizens' Movement	3,510	12.58	3	+1
	Nevis Reformation Party	2,232	8.00	0	–1
	Independent	11	0.04	0	0
	Appointed members	–	–	4	0
Invalid/blank votes		157	–	–	–
Total		28,139	100	15	0
Registered voters/turnout		48,173	58.41	–	–
Source: SKN Vibes

References

1. St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party elected to a fourth consecutive term in office – Two new comers on the Labour Party Parliamentary slate and one more for the opposition, ZIZ News, 26 January 2010, archived from the original on July 16, 2011
2. "Labour Party wins fourth term in St. Kitts-Nevis general elections". Dominica News Online. Roseau, Dominica. 25 January 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
3. "St Kitts and Nevis on final stretch", Stabroek News, 23 January 2010
4. "St. Kitts voters cast ballots in early elections", Washington Post, 25 January 2010
5. "January 25th Election Day for St Kitts and Nevis". Caribbean360. 8 January 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
6. "Army, police called to quell St Kitts election disturbance", Jamaica Observer, 25 January 2010, archived from the original on 28 January 2010.
7. Voters turn out in numbers to cast their ballots ... percentage of voter turn out could be high, ZIZ News, 25 January 2010, archived from the original on July 16, 2011