VZCZCXRO5092
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DE RUEHWN #1548/01 3522121
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 182121Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5937
INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0094
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUMIAAA/USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEHCV/USDAO CARACAS VE
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRIDGETOWN 001548 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CAR FOR ALAIN NORMAN 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SOCI EAID SC XL VE CU
SUBJECT: ONE-SIDED VICTORY?: ST. KITTS AND NEVIS ADOPTS 
ELECTORAL REFORM 
 
 
 ¶1. (U) Summary: In early December 2007 the St. Christopher 
(St. Kitts) and Nevis Parliament approved major changes to 
the country's election laws, the first changes since 1984. 
Reforms in the current law include the introduction of a 
national voter identification card and new regulations 
allowing for nationals living abroad to register and then 
return to the Federation to vote in elections.  While the 
official Opposition Party (the Nevis-based Concerned 
Citizen's Movement) reports that the reforms are generally 
acceptable, the People's Action Movement complains bitterly 
that the process was one-sided and has resulted in a flawed 
law that facilitates potential irregularities and corruption. 
 Now that the reforms have become law, the country will begin 
the equally contentious task of debating how to redistrict 
the boundaries of each constituency.  End Summary. 
 
SKN Electoral Reform Reaches Its Zenith 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) After years of independent studies, commissions, and 
public debates, the St. Kitts and Nevis Parliament passed 
legislation meant to improve the country's election laws. 
Sparked by allegations of corruption following the ruling St. 
Kitts/Nevis Labour Party's (SKNLP) election victory in 
October 2004, the electoral reform process began with a 
report compiled by a Commonwealth Assessment Mission that 
visited the country in August 2005.  Shortly afterwards, the 
government formed the Electoral Reform Secretariat and 
appointed Raphael Archibald, former Permanent Secretary in 
the Ministry of Agriculture, as chairman.  The Secretariat's 
Advisory Committee presented its recommendations to the 
Parliamentary committee earlier this year. 
 
¶3. (U) After the rather exhaustive bureaucratic exercise, the 
final electoral reform measures were debated in the St. Kitts 
and Nevis Parliament this November and December.  While the 
eventual law boasts two major reforms--the implementation of 
a national voter ID card and rules for allowing overseas 
nationals to vote--the opposition People's Action Movement 
(represented by only one member of Parliament) withdrew from 
the debates once a proposal to require voter fingerprints was 
dropped from the legislation. 
 
Some Opposition Says Reform Efforts Corrupted 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) People Action's Movement's (PAM) leader Lindsay 
Grant complained to PolOff that the "majority of persons in 
this country are unhappy with the legislation."  According to 
Grant, the legislation is not acceptable because it does not 
require fingerprints and also because it did not require a 
"re-registration" of the Voter's List, which he claims has 
long been corrupted.  Grant lamented that the voter 
identification card will still allow corrupt practices, 
whereas fingerprints would have offered an "almost 
fool-proof" solution.  As noted by the Commonwealth 
Assessment Mission's 2005 report, Grant continued to allege 
that the Voter's List includes duplicate entries and deceased 
individuals, which could have been fixed by re-constituting 
the entire list.  Grant noted that the law provides for no 
campaign finance regulations and therefore would allow 
foreign nationals and governments (including Cuba and 
Venezuela) to legally influence an election through campaign 
contributions. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In contrast, the Official Leader of the Opposition 
Mark Brantley, and former Nevis Premier Vance Amory, both of 
the Concerned Citizen's Movement (CCM) expressed confidence 
that the electoral reform process has been transparent and 
democratic.  They stated that while not every reform the CCM 
would have wanted included made it into the final 
legislation, the party is generally satisfied with the 
reforms, and confident that the law will ensure free and fair 
elections.  They dismissed Grant's concerns as political 
maneuvering. 
 
Remittances Come in Votes, Not Just Cash 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Among the most curious and controversial reforms are 
the sections of the law that allow nationals living abroad to 
vote in elections.  Previously, the law only allowed 
 
BRIDGETOWN 00001548  002 OF 002 
 
 
"residents" and nationals "domiciled" in the Federation to 
vote in elections.  The new legislation allows SKN nationals 
living abroad to register with Embassies and Consulates, and 
then to return to the Federation to vote.  According to 
Chairman of the Electoral Advisory Committee Raphael 
Archibald, political parties will not be prohibited from 
paying for the transportation costs of SKN nationals living 
abroad to return for the elections.  Since the St. 
Kitts/Nevis diaspora is estimated to possibly exceed the 
population of the country, the new regulation means that 
future elections could be swayed by the overseas population, 
and by the abilities of the political parties to mobilize 
that population. 
 
¶7. (U) Now that the electoral reform legislation has passed, 
the Electoral Reform Secretariat is turning its attention to 
re-districting.  The Boundaries Technical Committee is 
expected to offer its recommendations to the Secretariat for 
the new boundaries before the end of December 2007.  The 
Secretariat's subsequent recommendations will then be sent to 
 
SIPDIS 
Parliament in mid-2008.  As expected, the PAM has already 
raised serious concerns about the motives and methods of the 
re-districting efforts. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The results of St. Kitts and Nevis's Electoral 
Reform exercise are a mixed bag.  The formalized system of a 
voter ID card is certainly far superior to the informal 
system where poll workers relied on personally knowing and 
recognizing each voter; however, as the PAM notes, the new 
system will likely not be foolproof, and corrupt election 
practices in future SKN elections are not out of the 
question.  More disconcerting, however, are the new laws 
allowing citizens living abroad to vote in elections.  The 
end result of this part of the legislation, especially given 
the lack of financing regulations, could be expanded 
manipulation of election results if the political parties or 
other interest groups begin funding campaign drives to "bus" 
these voters in for elections.  End comment. 
OURISMAN