The group of protesters which has been demonstrating outside the Electoral Office since the Dec. 9, 2015 general elections has marked one hundred days on the “Frontline”.
“The aim is to let not only local people know but people across the world know that the election on December 9, [2015] was a fraud at best,” said Luzette King, an activist who is head of the protest group, which refers to themselves as the “Frontline.
The Frontline, made up of mainly supporters of the New Democratic Party, has, like their party, rejected the results of the December 2015 general elections.
The NDP is challenging the results in the Central Leeward and North Windward constituencies, which electoral officials say were won by the Unity Labour Party as it secured a fourth consecutive term in office by a one seatmajority in the 15-member Parliament.
The protesters are accusing the Ralph Gonsalves administration of stealing the vote.
Speaking at a press conference to mark the 500-day mark, King said:
“Who would have thought we would be here for 500 days?
“This especially so, after the harassment and threats by the police… for the first few months and almost every day, we were hounded: we were arrested without cause, our belongings were taken away illegally and never returned.”
King was arrested last year near the protest area and charged with causing an inconvenience to the public.
However, in late April, the case was adjourned sine die (with no appointed date for its resumption).
King said that the protesters persevered because they are adamant that the 2015 election was “rigged”.
“ In local parlance, it was simply stolen,” she said, adding that as a result the nation has been denied the New Democratic Party government “that we voted for”.
“At this point of our development, we believe the NDP is the party which demonstrates the capability and willingness to lead this nation out of the quagmire in which we find ourselves.
“Our focus during these 500 days has been to keep in the public’s eye the matter of this stolen election and to highlight other corrupt practices by this regime,” she said.
Asked about the response to the protest, King told reporters:
“Naturally, you would have different responses, but we know that the powers that be would rather not see us here on a day to day basis. It is affecting them.”
She said it is not joy for “a regime” to be reminded daily and have visitors to the country “knowing that something is not right by way of an election.”
King said that during the last 500 days they have received attention from abroad, by sharing their message with cruise visitors to the country.
The police would not have been “harassing” the protesters if they were not effective, King told reporters.
“They have actually given up now but they were vehemently after us to get rid of us.”
She said Gonsalves, whom she described as “the illegitimate prime minister”, used to come around as if he were daring them, but doesn’t do it anymore.