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Former PAM Candidate – Glenroy Blanchette

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
April 14, 2011 (CUOPM)

A former candidate for the opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM) is accusing the party’s leader, lawyer Lindsay Fitz Patrick Grant of what he says is a “willful, vicious and calculated attack” against him.

Mr. Glenroy Blanchette in a statement circulated to the media late Thursday, states that the PAM leadership has been ignoring an election petition matter in the High Court by refusing to send its lawyers to hearings set by the High Court Judge, His Lordship Mr. Justice Errol Thomas.

The election petition stems from the October 25th 2004 General Elections in which Mr. Blanchette lost to the Hon. Dr. Earl Asim Martin, the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party candidate and Minister in the Third Cabinet of Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that I did not ask the PAM to challenge the results of the 2004 General Elections in Court.  It was the PAM that made the decision to file the petition with the full knowledge and understanding that the Party would cover the costs.  I believe that this has been a longstanding tradition of the Party,” said Mr. Blanchette.

He stated that in November of 2004, the People’s Action Movement (PAM) filed three election petitions challenging the results of the 25th October 2004 General Elections in Constituencies 1, 4 and 8. The PAM was unsuccessful in its attempt to get the Court to declare the election results null and void.

“The Party was advised by its lawyers to withdraw the petition for Constituency 1 due to the perceived lack of strong evidence to support the claims in the petition. The petitions for Constituencies 4 and 5 were heard. As a result of the decision to withdraw the petition for Constituency 1, the Court, in its wisdom, awarded costs to the Respondents. Costs were not awarded for the other two constituencies even though the petitioners lost the case,” said Mr. Blanchette.

He said that the Court also instructed both parties to file written submissions regarding costs and attend Court hearings to discuss the matter.

“One such hearing was held on 10th December 2010.  There was no appearance by the lawyers who were assigned to the case by the Party.  In fact, Ms. Constance Mitcham told the Court that she had received no instructions from the Party regarding the matter. Additionally, the Court had instructed that the Petitioner file and serve an affidavit in response on or before 28th February 2011.  Again, no response was filed by the lawyers who were dealing with the case,” Mr. Blanchette said.

He disclosed that the Court met again on Friday 8th April and Tuesday 12th April and the matter was heard by Justice Errol Thomas.

“Again, no lawyers showed up to represent me on behalf of the PAM,” said Mr. Blanchette.

He said that he wrote a letter dated 12th January 2011 to past Chairman of PAM, Mr. Sydney Osborne informing him of the Court Hearing and his desire to be properly represented and indemnified with this matter.

“The letter was copied and sent to Mr. Lindsay Grant, the Hon. Shawn Richards and the Hon. Eugene Hamilton.  I have not received a response to that letter. I wrote another letter dated 31st March 2011 to the new Chairman of PAM lawyer McClure Taylor and to Mr. Lindsay Grant.  Those letters were also copied to the Hon. Shawn Richards and the Hon. Eugene Hamilton.  All those correspondence were sent via registered mail.  I have not received a response to my letters,” said Mr. Blanchette.

He said that on the morning of the 8th April Court hearing, he gave a copy of the correspondence to lawyer McClure Taylor and he has not heard from him.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that I did not ask the PAM to challenge the results of the 2004 General Elections in Court.  It was the PAM that made the decision to file the petition with the full knowledge and understanding that the Party would cover the costs.  I believe that this has been a longstanding tradition of the Party. Therefore, I went along with the request of the Party Leader to contest the election results and trusted him with ensuring that I would be properly and completely indemnified of all associated costs,” said the statement issued by Mr. Blanchette.

“As a matter of fact, the Party received a hefty donation of US$250,000.000 to cover the costs of the petitions.  I cannot tell you how that money was spent,” said Mr. Blanchette.

“I now view Mr. Lindsay Grant’s refusal to show any interest whatsoever in this Court matter as a willful, vicious and calculated attack against me in his attempt to get back against me. In his usual selfish and vindictive style, he has sought to fulfill his mission not recognizing that in doing so he is also destroying the People’s Action Movement,” said Mr. Blanchette, adding:

“It is public knowledge that I and four other former candidates of the People’s Action Movement, namely Roy Fleming, Bernard Welsh, Junie Hodge and Ronald Williams had asked Mr. Grant to step down as Political Leader of PAM. following the 25th January 2010 General Elections because of his involvement in the Marriott Bribery Scandal and his poor leadership leading up to the polls.”

He said Mr. Grant did not take kindly to their request and he responded immediately in a way that was true to his character.


“I was told by one of my colleagues that Mr. Grant said that he would ensure that I and my colleagues are unable to live in St. Kitts,” said Mr. Blanchette.

He said he was subsequently fired by the Democrat Newspaper which is owned by PAM.

“Almost a year has gone and the Democrat has refused to pay me my Holiday Pay and Payment in Lieu of Notice as mandated by the 1986 Protection of Employment Act. My lawyer wrote to the Democrat and up to this moment he has not received a response,” said Mr. Blanchette.

“Attempts are being made by some in the Party to destroy my good name by spreading lies, innuendos and half-truths about me.  They do this as a strategy to turn people against me.  They will not succeed.  Truth will never be suppressed. I wish to tell Mr. Grant that I, Glenroy Mervin Blanchette, born and raised in Newtown, will not be intimidated by him and will not leave St. Kitts because of him.  I urge Mr. Grant to let common sense prevail and do what is right and just in the sight of God,” Mr. Blanchette’s statement said.

Related posts:

1. PAM Leader Absent From Public Meeting Again
2. PM’s Press Secretary Denies Allegation by PAM Leader Lindsay Grant
3. St.Kitts-Nevis Opposition Party Leader Calls For PM To Step Down
4. Pam Leader Cautions Supporters To Be Wary Of Voter Fraud
5. More Calls For PAM Leader To Step Down

PAM Leader – Mr. Lindsay Grant

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
September 15, 2010 (CUOPM)

The Press Secretary to the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Mr. Erasmus Williams Sr. has denied allegations made by the Political Leader of the opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM), Mr. Lindsay Grant on WINNFM that he (Williams) was privy to the ruling of the Appeal Court in the Contempt of Court matter handed down on Monday.

“I want to unequivocally and in the strongest terms refute the allegation that I had advance information and knowledge of how the Appeal Court Judges was going to in the matter which was before the Appeal Court on Monday. Likewise I emphatically refute the allegation also from Mr. Lindsay Grant of the People’s Action Movement (PAM) that how the Court was going to rule was posted on the Internet by me, the Press Secretary to the Prime  Minister,” said Press Secretary Erasmus Williams.

Mr. Williams further challenged Mr. Lindsay Grant to produce the evidence of the information that was allegedly posted by him on the Internet.

“Mr. Grant should take his loss in the Appeal Court like a man and not draw the Judges of the Appeal Court, the Staff of the Court of Appeal or the Staff of the High Court in his political web,” said Williams to WINNFM on Tuesday.

Wednesday morning Mr. Williams reiterated his position on “Journeys” on Sugar City Rock making the observation that the allegation made by Mr. Grant was not used in WINNFM’s Evening Newscast with his response.

Related posts:

1. PAM Leader Lindsay Grant Disrupts National Assembly
2. Media Reports Say Byron Told Grant Of FAX From St. Lucia
3. Lindsay Grant Calls On PM To Reconvene Parliament
4. PAM Needs To Throw Lindsay Grant Overboard
5. Lindsay Grant Continues To Frustrate voters

PAM Leader – Mr. Lindsay Grant

Basseterre, St.Kitts – Nevis
People’s Action Movement
March 02, 2010

The clarion call for a proper overhaul of the electoral system by the People’s Action Movement and its Leader Lindsay Grant involving a complete enumeration and re-registration of voters has now been echoed by Premier Joseph Parry, as well as Opposition Leader Mark Brantley.

In an interview with WINN FM’s Toni Frederick, Premier Parry indicated that he was in full support of the Commonwealth Report’s recommendation of a fresh enumeration and voter re-registration.

“I think it is a fantastic idea and I am very supportive of it. Let me say I did not realize that (complete enumeration and re-registration of voters) was recommended but I have no objection because all kinds of persons have gotten their way on to our list here in Nevis. We need to clean it up, we definitely need to clean it up,” said Premier Parry

This recommendation by the Commonwealth report mirrors that of the People’s Action Movement who has been advocating discarding the voters list with a view of starting anew with a complete enumeration and re-registration process.

Leader of the Opposition Mark Brantley also supported the Commonwealth’s and People’s Action Movement’s Leader Lindsay Grants long voiced recommendation that an enumeration and re-registration is paramount for the basis of an efficient, free and fair electoral process.

“I feel we can now with some deliberate speed set about a complete re-registration, a complete enumeration process. Let us go into the neighborhoods and the communities and find people and register them right then and there. I feel that that is the only logical way. the mere fact that we are having this level of debate and on a “reformed” electoral system tells us that the reform was an abysmal failure whatever its intentions might have been it has failed and with those circumstances we must now go back and ensure we do a complete new exercise,” said St. Kitts-Nevis Opposition Leader Mark Brantley.

People’s Action Movement Leader Lindsay Grant further reiterated and emphasized his party’s displeasure with the current electoral system.

“There ought never to have been a reconfirmation system. We should have had an entire system where you have everybody registering anew. That is what was required in the system, said People’s Action Movement Leader Grant.

The Commonwealth Expert Team presented numerous recommendations in their official and final February 19 Report after observing the electoral process here in our Federation. The enumeration of voters in St. Kitts-Nevis was the most significant and controversial issue raised by the Report.

In short, their conclusion: a total and mandatory re-registration of the electoral system. This is a vindication of the People’s Action Movement’s primary position on Electoral Reform. The people of St. Kitts and Nevis are bestowed with the constitutionally enshrined right to free, fair and free from fear elections. It stands to reason that this can only be achieved with a voter registration system that accurately represents the composition of inhabitants within each constituency.

With further detail, the Commonwealth Expert Team expressly recommends that “a system of complete re-registration should be explored. The Team recognizes that considerable resources have been expended on the printing of the National Identification Card and that some may have to be reprinted for those voters who may be required to register in the constituency in which they reside. It may also entail the amendment of electoral Regulations to clarify and strengthen the residency requirements.”

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts – Nevis Voter Registration System Passes Tests
2. St. Kitts – Nevis Calls For Voter Registration Confirmation
3. St. Kitts – Nevis Voter Registration – 5,000 Confirmed
4. St. Kitts – Nevis Citizens Can Confirm Voter Registration
5. St. Kitts – Nevis Minister Outlines Voter Registration Program