Changing of the Guard

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St. Kitts and Nevis’ opposition party won the island nation’s legislative elections over the weekend, in a poll that came three years earlier than planned, the Associated Press reported.

Preliminary results showed the St. Kitts-Nevis Labor Party (SKNLP) secured six seats in the 15-seat parliament, ousting the People’s Labor Party (PLP) of Prime Minister Timothy Harris, which won only one seat.

The vote was originally scheduled for 2025 but took place earlier amid political disputes in the twin-island nation. Earlier this year, Harris’ three-party coalition, Team Unity, filed a motion of no-confidence against the prime minister, prompting the country to hold general elections on Aug. 5.

Six political parties fielded more than 30 candidates for 11 of the 15 seats in parliament. Following the election, the governor general will nominate candidates for the remaining four seats.

Terrence Drew of the SKNLP will now become the country’s fourth prime minister since the country became independent of the UK in 1983. He has vowed to improve health care provision and increase access to affordable housing and education.

Analysts told Caribbean National Weekly that the PLP’s defeat could also signal the end of Harris’ political career which has spanned more than 25 years.

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