| Parliament name |
National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
25 January 2010 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all elective seats in the National Assembly on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
On 15 December 2009, Prime Minister Denzil L. Douglas asked Governor-General Sir Cuthbert Sebastian to dissolve the National Assembly with immediate effect in view of general elections. On 7 January 2010, the Governor-General issued a writ, calling elections for 25 January 2010 (see note). The twin-island federation of 40,000 inhabitants elects 11 members to the National Assembly: eight from Saint Kitts and three from Nevis.
In the previous elections held in October 2004, Prime Minister Douglas' Labour Party (SKNLP) took seven of the eight seats at stake in Saint Kitts. The main opposition force, the People's Action Movement (PAM), took the remaining seat. In Nevis, the Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) and the Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) won two seats and one seat respectively. Mr. Mark Brantley (CCM) became the Leader of the Opposition.
A total of 23 candidates were vying for seats in the 2010 elections. Both the SKNLP and the PAM fielded candidates in all eight constituencies in Saint Kitts, where one independent candidate was also running. The CCM and the NRP fielded three candidates each in Nevis.
Prime Minister Douglas' SKNLP campaigned under the slogan "Progress, Not Promises". Mr. Douglas has been in power since 1995 and was seeking an unprecedented fourth term in office. Former Speaker, Ms. Marcella Liburd, was the sole woman candidate for the SKNLP. Prime Minister Douglas ran on the government's record, arguing that his SKNLP had helped people emerge from poverty and landlessness. He added that the country, which had been hit by the global economic crisis, needed "mature, highly experienced hands" to lead it.
PAM leader Lindsay Grant argued that while the global economic crisis posed serious challenges, it also offered many opportunities. He pledged to provide the positive change the country needed once voted into office. Sir Kennedy Simmonds - who had led the country to independence in September 1983 - came out of retirement and joined the election campaign in support of the PAM. He criticized the Prime Minister for having run up more than US$ 1.1 billion in debt. Mr. Simmonds insisted that only the PAM could save the country from that "chaotic situation".
In all, 83.51% of the 32,000 registered voters turned out at the polls.
The Organization of American States (OAS), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Commonwealth expert team monitored the polls. CARICOM declared that the voting had been conducted in a "peaceful and incident-free manner".
The final results gave six seats to the SKNLP, one fewer than in the 2004 elections. Former Speaker, Ms. Liburd, was elected. The PAM increased its share to two seats although its leader, Mr. Grant, lost his seat. The CCM and the NRP retained the same number of seats as before: two and one each.
On 10 March, the National Assembly held its first session and re-elected Mr. Curtis Martin (SKNLP) as its Speaker.
In the meantime, on 27 January, Prime Minister Douglas was sworn in for a fourth term.
Note:
The term of the National Assembly is five years from the first session, not from the election date. The new elections are constitutionally due within three months after the end of the legislature. Although the previous elections were held in October 2004, since the outgoing legislature held its first session in December 2004, the elections were due by March 2010. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 25 January 2010 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
32'766
27'364 (83.51%)
118
27'246 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Labour Party (SKNLP) |
8 |
12'227 |
|
|
|
|
|
| People's Action Movement (PAM) |
8 |
8'393 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) |
3 |
2'860 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) |
3 |
2'539 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Labour Party (SKNLP) |
6
|
|
|
|
|
| People's Action Movement (PAM) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
10
1
9.09%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
- National Assembly (12.04.2010)
- Electoral Office (12.04.2010) |
|
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
