Feb. 1 — The NGO Coalition Election Report is coming under fire from the High Command of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force for portions of the report which refers to acts purportedly taken By Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas. Monday, a joint military release said that in light of and considering the erroneous and subjective pronouncements By the local observer entity the NGO Coalition, whose intent is clearly to misrepresent the truth, the Security Forces wish to state categorically that on no occasion was there any deliberate altercation between themselves and the voting public, notwithstanding the attempts By certain political elements to disrupt the free and fair conduct of the voting process. “The Defence Force Commander (Lt. Colonel Patrick Wallace) denounces the allegation By the NGO Collation that on polling day members of the Defence Force were deployed to Constituency 4 ‘in riot gear and toting M16 rifles.’ He wishes to state categorically that soldiers of the Force did not wear riot gear on polling day, nor were they deployed with M16 rifles for duties associated with the elections during the period of polling on Election Day. “The Defence Force Commander further denounces the NGO Coalition allegation that the candidate for Constituency 6 berated members of the Force for failing to transport Labour Party supporters to vote in Constituencies 4 and 5 as a blatant lie, and also condemn the NGOs Coalition Observers’ accusation that military vehicles were used to transport voters on Election Day’ as malicious,” said the statement. The Coalition comprises the St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry of Commerce, the St. Kitts Christian Council and the St. Kitts Evangelical Association. Source: CUOPM
