STATEMENT BY THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS ON THE 9TH DECEMBER

2015 GENERAL ELECTIONS

IN
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

General Elections in St. Vincent and the Grenadines were held on Wednesday, 9 th
December, 2015. Election Day was generally conducted in a peaceful environment.
During the day, the Supervisor of Elections received a total of eight (8) letters of
complaint on behalf of the NDP, all emanating from Equity Chambers, Kingstown, St.
Vincent and the Grenadines.
The letters of complaints dealt with:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Slow Voting in Constituency of Central Kingstown

Slow Voting in Constituency of West St. George
Slow Voting in Constituency of Marriaqua (First Complaint)
Slow Voting in Constituency of Marriaqua (Second Complaint)
Incident at Polling Station F1 Central Leeward Constituency
ULP Candidate allowed to remain in Polling Station beyond maximum time
Central Leeward
7. Political Campaigning being broadcast on VC3 TV
8. ULP Polling Agents canvassing and advising persons on who to vote for
At approximately 2:30 p.m., the Supervisor of Elections received a telephone call
from Mr. Arnhim Eustace, Leader of the NDP in which he registered his strong
objection to the Electoral Office providing two different Voters Lists to the NDP and
the ULP outside agents in East Kingstown. It must be noted that the Electoral Office
provided two identical sets of Voters Lists to both parties on 2 nd December, 2015 for
distribution to their agents. Mr. Eustace confirmed that the agents on the inside of
the polling stations in East Kingstown had the same lists as the Presiding Officers
and Poll Clerks. He further stated that he wanted to visit the Supervisor of Elections
at her office immediately. I stated that while I was willing to meet with him, I was
preparing to leave the office go to Barrouallie to vote in the constituency of Central
Leeward where I am duly registered to vote.
About 15 minutes later a group of individuals led by Ms. Vynette Frederick and Mr.
Keith Scotland entered the Electoral Office. Among the members of the group were
three males who were videotaping the proceedings as well as Ms. Fredericks
brother. Ms. Frederick and Mr. Scotland reiterated the position earlier articulated by
Mr. Eustace. I requested that they produce evidence to substantiate their claim;
they left promising to return with the same.

I later left the office for Barrouallie in a vehicle driven by my younger daughter
along with a police escort who was requested in light of the aggressive nature of the
groups encounter with me. The group never returned to the office that day and the
lists were never submitted.
On the evening of Election Day, all fifteen (15) Returning Officers telephoned in the
preliminary results for their respective constituencies to the Office of the Supervisor
of Elections. Based on the result in the constituency of North Leeward where Mr.
Roland Matthews had received 2,259 votes and Mr. Carlos James 2,252 votes, and
where there were 20 rejected votes, I informed Mr. Mc Carta Gordon the Returning
Officer for North Leeward, that I would join him to conduct the Final Count. The
Representation of the People Act (1982) mandates that there must be a Final Count
in each constituency commencing at 8:00 a.m. on the day following the Elections.
The Supervisor of Elections consequently journeyed to Chateubelair on the morning
of Thursday 10th December to oversee the Final Count in the North Leeward
constituency. This final count was witnessed by both candidates and their
representatives. When all fifteen (15) ballot boxes were counted, Mr. Matthews had
increased his tally of votes to 2,267 and Mr. James to 2,255. The difference
between their total votes was 12 after the Final Count as against 07 in the
preliminary count.
The Final Count in North Leeward was conducted in a cordial atmosphere and at the
end of the days proceedings which ended at about 7:30 p.m., both parties
expressed satisfaction with the outcome. There was one unfortunate incident
involving Ms. Vynette Frederick, one of the representatives for the NDP candidate at
the Final Count. Ms. Frederick was granted permission by the Supervisor of
Elections to take a photo of one of the ballot boxes from the North Leeward
Constituency as they were being taken out for the Final Count. Ms. Frederick later in
the day posted on social media the same photograph of the ballot box for polling
station NLE1 and captioned it as the alleged missing ballot box for Central Leeward
that had been found. When it was brought to my attention and I examined the
photograph posted, in the presence of the representatives from both the NDP and
ULP, I publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Ms. Frederick for misleading the
general public and creating chaos in the country.
During the day while I was based in Chateaubelair, I kept in constant contact with
the Returning Officer for Central Leeward, Mr. Winston Gaymes after I was informed
that the atmosphere at the Layou Police Station and its environs where the Final
Count was being held, was chaotic. The Final Count in Central Leeward ended at
about 5:30 p.m. Reports from the Returning Officer indicated that while it was a
tedious exercise, both parties in the end accepted the final result. Sir Louis Straker
gained 2,497 votes and Mr. Benjamin Exeter 2,184 votes. It is worth pointing that
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contrary to information that has been circulated on social media- all fifteen ballot
boxes were stored at the Layou Police Station on the night of December 9 th and
were all opened and used in the Final Count on December 10 th. All boxes were
properly sealed with both the plastic and paper seals in place.
Because of the volatile situation that existed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on
Thursday, 10th December, 2015 I took a decision to delay the transportation and
delivery of ballot boxes and other election materials to the Electoral Office until
Friday, 11th December, 2015. As a result, the ballot boxes and election materials
remained in storage at the police stations on the night of the Final Count. Further,
the Electoral Office was closed to the public on Friday, 11 th December to facilitate
the delivery and storage of the ballot boxes and election materials. By 6 p.m. all the
boxes and materials from all fifteen constituencies had been received by the Office
of the Supervisor of Elections and stored.
Meanwhile, the Report on the Final Count was prepared by the Supervisor of
Elections and emailed to the media as well as to the New Democratic Party and
Unity Labour Party at about 10:00 p.m. on Friday 11 th December. The Final Count
revealed that the Unity Labour Party (ULP) won the poll in 08 of the 15
constituencies while the New Democratic Party (NDP) won in the remaining 07
constituencies (See the Final Counts of Votes issued on 11 th December, 2015).
On Saturday, 12th December, I returned to the office at approximately 10:30 a.m. to
complete outstanding administrative work; specifically certifying outstanding
payments, responding to correspondence and tidying my office space. While at the
office, I listened to the Press Conference hosted by the NDP in which alleged voting
irregularities in the Central Leeward constituency were highlighted. I therefore
contacted the Returning Officer and the Election Clerk and requested an urgent
meeting to review the issues raised at the NDP Press Conference. I felt that Sunday
afternoon seemed like a convenient time to meet since the meeting could be held in
a quiet, uninterrupted setting. Additionally, I needed to be clear on the way forward
as the office continued its post-election duties.
The meeting convened just after 1:30 p.m. Almost immediately a crowd gathered,
with at least two males who were using video cameras. When the meeting ended at
3:10 p.m., the Returning Officer Mr. Winston Gaymes and the Election Clerk Mr.
Clyde Robinson exited the building to be confronted by a hostile crowd. Thanks to
the excellent work of the two police officers on duty at the Electoral Office, both
gentlemen were safely escorted to their respective vehicles. I stood just outside the
doorway of the Electoral Office building observing what was taking place while
being subjected to verbal abuse from those persons gathered in front of the
building. It was at this time I overheard a female who appeared to be one of the
organisers of the protest saying to two male protesters Do not touch her. I will not
agree to that. Not being sure who she was referring to, I telephoned the
Commissioner of Police and requested police escort to my home. I also telephoned
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my brother to drive me home. As I left the building and entered my brothers

waiting vehicle, I was again subjected to more verbal attacks by the protesters who
among other things demanded to know why I was at the Electoral Office on a
Sunday.
The records will show that since the 7 th November, 2015 (the date on which the
election date was announced) I have been at the Electoral Office every day until
Sunday 13th December- Saturdays and Sundays included. My work day, even on
weekends, ran from approximately 8:30 a.m. to as late as 12 midnight on Sunday,
6th December. The full-time staff of the Electoral Office has also worked every day of
the week from Monday 9th November to Tuesday 8th December from as early as 7
a.m. to as late as 12 midnight. I hasten to add this also obtained in 2009 for the
Referendum as well as for the 2010 General Election.
Also at the office on Sunday 13 th December was a young lady hired to clean the
Customer Service area and other spaces in the Electoral Office that could not be
cleaned on Friday afternoon because of the collection of ballot boxes and election
material.
The Office of the Supervisor of Elections wishes to record its profound
disappointment with the latest display of disrespect meted out by a small sector of
the Vincentian Community, but which nonetheless can do irreparable damage to the
high regard in which the Vincentian electoral system has been held since 1951
when the nation conducted its first elections. The Office is committed to free, fair
and transparent elections. The Office is equally convinced that when all the facts
are known, it will be evident that the allegations which are now being made are
based on misinformation and half-truths and untruths.

Sylvia Findlay (Ms.)

Supervisor of Elections
14/12/2015