St Kitts and Nevis is regarded as a middle-income nation with a per-capita income of $8,800 (2002 est.). St. Kitts and Nevis is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU). The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) issues a common currency for all members of the ECCU. The ECCB also manages monetary policy, and regulates and supervises commercial banking activities in its member countries.

As Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II is represented in St. Kitts and Nevis by a Governor General, who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party which won the largest number of seats in the National Assembly in the last general election. He is invited to form a government by the Governor-General. The Prime Minister is the senior minister in the government and is ultimately responsible for all government policies and programmes.

The Parliament of St. Kitts & Nevis is comprised of the Speaker, elected members of the Government and Opposition parties (11), appointed Senators (3) and the Attorney-General when not an elected member. Parliament, also called the National Assembly is the sole institution through which laws of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis are passed, taxes imposed, and public expenditure authorized.

Under the Constitution, Nevis has considerable autonomy and has an Island
Assembly, a Premier, and a Deputy Governor General. Nevis has its own legislature, premier and administration. The Nevis legislature, the Nevis Island Assembly, has five members elected by universal adult suffrage and three nominated members. The central government legislates for Nevis in matters concerning overall policy formation. Under the constitution, provision is made for the secession of Nevis at six months’ notice, after a two-thirds majority in favour in the Nevis Assembly and a referendum, also with at least two-thirds in favour.

An election allows those eligible to vote (the electorate) to decide who should represent their views and interests. Elections are held at regular intervals to enable the population to change their representative if they no longer feel that the current postholder best represents those views and interests.

Fair and free elections are an essential part of a democracy, allowing citizens to determine how they want the country to be governed.

ELECTORAL LAWS

The National Assembly Elections Act Cap. 162 divides St. Kitts and Nevis into 11 electoral districts for the purpose of federal elections. Each electoral district constitutes one constituency and each constituency elects only one member to the Assembly.

Schedule 2 (1) of the Constitution states that “There shall be not less than eight constituencies in the island of St Christopher and not less than three constituencies in the island of Nevis and if the number of constituencies is increased beyond eleven, not less than one third shall be in the island of Nevis.”

HOW GENERAL ELECTIONS WORK
    IN ST. KITTS AND NEVIS

A general election is held when Parliament is dissolved by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister of the day. General elections must be held every five years at least.

St. Kitts and Nevis is divided into 11 electoral districts or constituencies. Voters in each constituency elect one member of parliament (MP) to send to the National Assembly on the first past-the-post system. (The Senate in St. Kitts and Nevis is not an elected body.)

A political party is a group of people who seek to influence or form the government according to their agreed views and principles. There are a number of political parties in St. Kitts and Nevis. Each party nominates one candidate for each constituency. Independent candidates may also stand for elections.

The party that wins the most constituencies is asked by the Governor General to form the government. The leader of that party becomes the Prime Minister. If the party wins in more than 8 constituencies, it will have a majority government, which makes it much easier to get legislation passed in the House. If the winning party has fewer than 8 seats, it forms a minority government. In order to get legislation through the House, a minority government usually has to adjust policies to get enough votes from MPs of other parties.

The party that has the second highest number of seats in the National Assembly is called the Official Opposition.

Any citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis who is 21 years of age or older and resident in St. Kitts and Nevis is eligible for election to the National Assembly.

CALLING ELECTIONS

In St. Kitts and Nevis, the Prime Minister may call general elections at any time, though no more than five years may lapse from one general election to the next. All seats in the National Assembly are vacant and the political party that wins the most seats in the subsequent general election form the government. Aside from general elections, for which all seats are open, by-elections are held when a member of Parliament dies or resigns.

The Prime Minister's power of discretion adds an element of spontaneity to the electoral process that does not exist in systems where voting dates are fixed on the calendar. Prime ministers generally ask the monarch, the formal head of state, to dissolve Parliament when they think their party has the best chance of winning a general election.

Other factors may force an election on a Prime Minister. It is a convention (established practice) that if a government is defeated in the National Assembly on a vote of confidence, then a general election will follow.

CANDIDATES

Any person who at the date of his election-

1. is a Kititian and Nevisian citizen of the age of twenty-one years or upwards;
2. has resided in St. Kitts and Nevis for a period of twelve months immediately preceding the date of his election; and
3. is able to speak and, unless incapacitated by blindness or other physical cause, to read the English language with sufficient proficiency to enable him to take an active part in the proceedings of the House.

may stand as a candidate at a parliamentary election.

Anyone who wishes to stand for election must be nominated on an official nomination paper submitted on Nomination Day. They must stand either for an established political party or as an independent. All candidates must pay a deposit which is lost if they do not secure a specified number of votes.

THE CAMPAIGN

Once the Prime Minister decides to call a general election then he or she will go to see the Governor General to request that Parliament is dissolved. If the Governor General agrees (there would have to be very strong constitutional reasons why he/she would refuse) then a Proclamation is issued in accordance with the Constitution of St. Kitts and Nevis which officially allows the dissolution (bringing to an end) of the Parliament. It is customary for the Prime Minister to make a statement announcing the date of the dissolution and usually the reason for calling a general election.

How long is an election campaign?

The formal campaign is a relatively short-lived affair: the Prime Minister must give a minimum of three weeks and a maximum of six weeks' notice for a general election. In practice, informal campaigning tends to start much earlier.

What happens once Parliament has been dissolved?

Once Parliament has been formally dissolved, the Clerk of Parliament issues Writs of Election for each constituency and the election timetable commences.

During the election campaign all the main political parties produce a wide range of publicity material. Manifestos will be published setting out the party's policies on each major issue. The headquarters of each party is responsible for preparing party election advertising material and broadcasts for television and radio.

How much can candidates spend on the election?

Each candidate who contests a general election has an expenditure limit, broadly based on the number of registered voters in the constituency. The limit is overseen by the Elections and Boundaries Commission.

WHO CAN VOTE IN A GENERAL ELECTION?

St. Kitts and Nevis has universal adult suffrage, i.e. you are entitled to vote in a general election if you are a Kititian and Nevisian citizen, and will be 18 or older on polling day.

Elections are by secret ballot. Ballot papers are anonymous, to prevent undue influence on voters, and the ballot boxes are sealed to prevent electoral fraud.

POLLING DAY

On election day, Kititians and Nevisians vote not for a Prime Minister, but for candidates running in each of the 11 single-seat constituencies throughout St. Kitts and Nevis. A party needs to win 6 constituencies to command a majority in the National Assembly, which allows it to choose a Prime Minister, formally appointed by the Governor General. Once selected, the prime minister begins the task of forming a government.

Each constituency is divided into a number of polling districts, each of which has a polling station. Most polling stations are in public buildings such as schools and churches, but other buildings can be used on request. Voting takes place on election day from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Voting is by secret ballot, and the only people allowed in the polling station are the presiding officer (who is in charge), the polling clerks, the duty police officers, the candidates, their election agents and polling agents and the voters. Just before the poll opens, the presiding officer shows the ballot boxes to those at the polling station to prove that they are empty. The boxes are then locked and sealed. In the polling station voters are directed to the presiding officer or polling clerk, who asks the voter his or her name, checks that it is on the register, and places a mark against the register entry. This records that the voter has received a ballot paper but does not show which one. The officer or clerk gives the ballot paper an official mark before handing the paper to the voter. The official mark is intended to show that the papers placed in the ballot box are genuine.

The ballot paper lists the names of the candidates in alphabetical order. Voting takes place in a booth, which is screened to maintain secrecy. The voter marks the ballot paper with a cross in the box opposite the name of the candidate of his or her choice, and fold the paper to conceal the vote before placing it in the ballot box.

A paper that is spoiled by mistake must be returned to the presiding officer. If the Presiding Officer is satisfied that the soiling was accidental, another paper is provided and the first is canceled. At the end of the voting the Presiding Officer delivers those spoilt papers to the Returning Officer. The ballot boxes are then sealed and delivered to the central point - the Counting Station, where the count is to take place.

COUNTING THE BALLOTS

All ballot boxes are taken to a central place in each constituency where counting takes place. Each ballot box is emptied, the papers mixed up and the votes counted by teams of helpers. This is done in the presence of the candidates. When all the votes have been counted the results are announced by the Returning Officer. Depending on the time it takes to bring all of the ballot boxes to the count and the result of the count, the final result may be announced before midnight. Most results will come in during the early hours of the morning, but some will not be known until well into the next day.

Recounts

If the result is close then either candidate can demand a recount. The Returning Officer will advise the candidates of the figures and sanction a recount. Recounts can continue until both candidates and the Returning Officer are satisfied with the result.

AFTER THE RESULTS

When all of the results are known the Governor General will usually invite the leader of the party winning the most seats in the National Assembly to be Prime Minister and to form a Government.

The Prime Minister will appoint several members of his party for both Houses to become members of the Cabinet.

The Cabinet

The Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and not fewer than five other Ministers. Ministers are appointed by the Governor General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, from among the members of the two Houses. The Governor General, with the advice of the Prime Minister, may also appoint Parliamentary Secretaries to assist Ministers in the discharge or their functions.

The Opposition

The party that wins the second-largest number of seats in Parliament comprises the opposition, which forms a "shadow" cabinet poised to assume power at any time during the ruling government's five-year term.

The Governor-General appoints as Leader of the Opposition the person who, in his/her judgment, is best able to command the support of a majority of those members of the House who do not support the Government.

The New Parliament

A few days after the general election the National Assembly will assemble in preparation for the new Parliament to begin. All MPs must be sworn in by taking an oath of allegiance or making an affirmation, and must sign the official register. The Speaker and Deputy Speaker are customarily selected by a vote of the sitting members of parliament.

BY-ELECTIONS

A by-election takes place when a seat in the National Assembly becomes vacant between general elections. If there are several vacant seats then a number of by-elections can take place on the same day.

Reasons for by-elections

A seat becomes vacant during the lifetime of a Parliament either when an MP resigns from Parliament, for example to take up a job which by law cannot be done by an MP, or because an MP has died. The law also allows a seat to be declared vacant because of a Member's bankruptcy, mental illness or conviction for a serious criminal offence.

A by-election does not automatically take place if an MP changes political party.