ST KITTS: Appeals Court voids St John's election

The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling that that the 2011 election in the District of St. John’s was invalid and void.

As a result of the ruling, the seat will now be vacated and a by-election held within 90 days.

The Nevis Reformation Party’s Deputy Leader Hensley Daniel had filed an appeal challenging a ruling of the lower court that the election was invalid.

Daniel had won the seat by 14 votes defeating the Concerned Citizens Movement’s Deputy Leader Mark Brantley and giving the ruling party a slender 3-2 majority in the Nevis Island Administration.

Brantley filed an election petition charging widespread irregularity and following a two-week trial in January, Justice Lionel Jones declared the election invalid.

However, at the time, the court granted a stay of execution to allow the government to continue to function uninterrupted until the appeal has been heard.

But the Court of Appeal has now dismissed the appeal by Daniel and the other respondents and awarded costs to Brantley.