SVG Teachers’ Union election contender challenges results

Just under a month since the St Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union (SVGTU) hosted its general elections, one of the contenders for the presidency has raised issues about the electoral process and questioned the legitimacy of the results.

The SVGTU held its general elections on February 27 and 28,2024, with long standing president, Oswald Robinson retaining his position. The post was also contested by Nicole Martindale, with Robinson securing 677 votes to Martindale’s 384 votes.

On March 20, 2024, Martindale appeared as a guest on WEFM’s morning programme where she said that the election process was fraught with “discrepancies”.

“The person who lost the election for first vice president lost by two votes at the first count; on the recount he lost by 80 votes. There must be a problem, there is inconsistency.”

Martindale said she wrote the election committee, outlining her concerns and requesting that the issue be addressed by way of a recount. She alleged that her correspondence to the election committee was “ignored”.

“The admin officer told me that she got the email. I also wrote to the head of the election committee…and I did ask if they got my letter. The admin officer told me she got my email and she sent that letter to all of the members on the committee,” Martindale related.

“ When I met with the election committee, they ignored me. It leaves me to think what is happening?”

Martindale and the SVGTU, just one day prior to the staging of the elections, were at loggerheads after she laid a claim against the union alleging that money intended for unvaccinated teachers who lost their jobs was not received by them. The executive committee of the union quickly responded, and in a press conference explained that an executive decision was taken to put the monies aside as it had been less than expected.

When contacted by SEARCHLIGHT president Robinson said that he prefers not to offer any comment on the issue.

In the radio interview, Martindale said that the executive intends to investigate the election process.