Saint Kitts & Nevis - Political Parties
There are four major political parties in St. Kitts and Nevis that currently contest elections and two further parties that did not field candidates in 2010. Two parties, the SKNLP and the PAM, compete for seats in St. Kitts. Two separate parties, the CCM and the NRP, compete for seats in Nevis. Although obliged to work together in the National Assembly, the Kittitian and Nevisian parties maintain separate spheres and agendas and parties from one island do not campaign on the other.
The Concerned Citizens’ Movement (CCM) - Party color: blue Party leader: Hon. Vance Amory - a Nevisian party, was founded in 1987 on the founding principle of constitutional reform. The CCM advocated for more autonomy for the island of Nevis so that Nevisians would have full control over the affairs of the island. In June 1992 the CCM was elected in the Nevisian Local Assembly to govern Nevis and in Federal elections since 1993 the CCM has gained two seats to the NRP’s one seat. The CCM argues that the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis should develop along lines that are conducive to the specific situations that are unique to each island; that the constitutional arrangement between the islands does not adequately address the needs of the people of Nevis; that the Nevis Island Government should not have to be sanctioned or approved by the Federal Government in St. Kitts; and that constitutional reform will take the affairs of Nevis out of the control of a political party in St. Kitts.
The Nevis Reformation Party (NRP) - Party color: green Party leader: Hon. Joseph Parry - was founded in 1970 and initially advocated secession from St. Kitts. Its first leader, the lawyer Simeon Daniel was instrumental in negotiating the independence settlement, whereby Nevis is part of the two-island Federation but also maintains its own Assembly. The NRP now contests power with the CCM in Nevis: its manifesto stresses the need to support small and local business rather than focusing on large-scale international investment, and on the importance of supporting local desire to own land cheaply. It also stresses the provision of local public services: road improvement, healthcare, education and services for the elderly.
The People’s Action Movement (PAM) - Party color: yellow Party leader: Mr. Lindsay Grant - was founded in 1965 and first competed in elections in 1966. It grew out of opposition to the dominant political force of the SKNLP, particularly its strong links with the labor unions in the then economically-dominant sugar industry. The PAM complained at that time that SKNLP dues were automatic for workers in the industry, leading to an effective party hegemony; they complained of attacks and police harassment by SKNLP forces. This history of antagonism between the PAM and the SKNLP has colored their subsequent relationship, which remains tense. The PAM platform has tended to emphasize economic diversification (initially away from sugar), cheap land, domestic food production, and autonomy for Nevis. This last policy enabled coalition government between the PAM and the NRP in 1980 and their collaboration over the terms of independence. Its 2010 manifesto promised the introduction of laws on Good Governance, including Freedom of Information and Integrity in Public Life and Electoral Reform. It also offered a comprehensive small business policy, benefits for agriculture and fishermen, and the establishment of a National Theatre and Centre for Performing Arts.
The St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) - Party color: red Party leader: Hon. Denzil Douglas - grew up in the 1940s out of the St. Kitts and Nevis Trades and Labour Union, headed by Robert Bradshaw. It has thus from the start had strong links with workers, particularly, in the early days, those working in the all-important sugar industry. Its 2010 manifesto stressed that its ‘number one aim’ was ‘to facilitate the upward-mobility of all citizens’ and emphasized its record in government of providing student loans, creating new homeowners, and investing in industry and energy security. It cited a positive International Monetary Fund analysis of the Federation’s economy during the SKNLP incumbency and competed on the slogan ‘Progress, Not Promises’. The SKNLP was the dominant force in Kittitian politics from the 1940s until 1980, when it lost power. It regained a parliamentary majority in the 1995 elections under Hon. Denzil Douglas and has maintained a substantial lead against the PAM in subsequent elections.
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