The People's Action Movement (PAM) is a political party in the island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The party currently holds one of the 11 seats in the National Assembly. PAM operates only in Saint Kitts and for the 2022 general election is in a 'One Movement' alliance with the Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) operating in Nevis, following the breakdown of the governing Team Unity alliance. PAM is a member of the Caribbean Democrat Union, the regional affiliate of the International Democrat Union and shares close links with other centre-right party members in the Caribbean such as the Jamaica Labour Party.[2]
People's Action Movement | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | PAM |
| Leader | Natasha Grey-Brookes |
| Chairperson | Sheldon Pemberton |
| Founder | William Valentine Herbert |
| Founded | 19 January 1965 |
| Ideology | Conservatism Republicanism |
| Political position | Centre-right |
| National affiliation | One Movement (since 2022)[1] Team Unity (2015–2022) |
| Regional affiliation | Caribbean Democrat Union |
| International affiliation | International Democrat Union |
| National Assembly | 1 / 11
|
| Website | |
| https://pamskn.org/ | |
History
editThe party first contested national elections in 1966, when they received 35% of the vote and won two seats.[3] Their electoral share was reduced to a single seat in the 1971 elections, but they regained a second seat in 1975. In the 1980 elections they won three seats, and were able to form a coalition government with the Nevis Reformation Party to oust the Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) from power for the first time since 1952. PAM leader Kennedy Simmonds led the country to independence in 1983, and the party won six of the eleven seats in the 1984 elections to remain in power. They again won six seats in 1989. The 1993 elections saw PAM and the SKNLP win four seats each.
Constance V. Mitcham, the first women to sit in the national assembly, was elected as a PAM candidate in 1984 and served until 1995.[4][5]
The PAM remained in power, but early elections were held in 1995, which saw the PAM reduced to just one seat (with Simmonds losing his). They lost their single seat in the 2000 elections, but regained it in 2004, with Shawn Richards winning constituency no. 5. In the 2010 elections the PAM won two seats.
Lindsay Grant served as Leader of the PAM until his resignation in July 2012.[6] After Grant's resignation, Shawn K. Richards and Eugene A. Hamilton contested for the party leadership in 2012; Richards came out the victor and became the fourth leader of the PAM and Hamilton became the deputy leader.
Team Unity
editPrior to the 2015 general elections, the People's Action Movement formed a political alliance, known as Team Unity, with the Concerned Citizens' Movement (CCM) from sister island Nevis and the newly formed People's Labour Party, which was led by former SKNLP members Timothy Harris and Sam Condor. The alliance ended in 2022.
Leadership
edit- William Valentine Herbert, 1965-1975[7]
- Kennedy Simmonds, 1975-2000[8]
- Lindsay Grant, 2000-2012[9]
- Shawn Richards, 2012-2024[10]
- Natasha Grey-Brookes, 2024-[11][12]
Election results
edit| Election year | Party leader | # of votes |
% of vote |
# of overall seats won |
+/– | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | William Valentine Herbert | 4,936 | 35.0 (#2) | 2 / 10
|
 2
|
Official Opposition |
| 1971 | 5,397 | 37.0 (#2) | 1 / 9
|
 1
|
Official Opposition | |
| 1975 | 2,859 | 23.4 (#2) | 2 / 9
|
1
|
Official Opposition | |
| 1980 | Kennedy Simmonds | 4,990 | 33.9 (#2) | 3 / 9
|
1
|
Coalition – Majority |
| 1984 | 8,596 | 47.6 (#1) | 6 / 11
|
3
|
Coalition – Majority | |
| 1989 | 8,090 | 45.4 (#1) | 6 / 11
|
|
Coalition – Majority | |
| 1993 | 6,449 | 33.6 (#2) | 4 / 11
|
2
|
Coalition – Minority | |
| 1995 | 7,530 | 34.7 (#2) | 1 / 11
|
3
|
Opposition | |
| 2000 | 6,462 | 29.6 (#2) | 0 / 11
|
1
|
No representation | |
| 2004 | Lindsay Grant | 7,161 | 31.7 (#2) | 1 / 11
|
1
|
Opposition |
| 2010 | 8,393 | 32.2 (#2) | 2 / 11
|
1
|
Official Opposition | |
| 2015 | Shawn Richards | 8,452 | 27.9 (#2) | 4 / 11
|
2
|
Coalition |
| 2020 | 8,067 | 28.91 (#2) | 4 / 11
|
|
Coalition (2020−22) | |
| Opposition (2022) | ||||||
| 2022 | 4,737 | 16.13 (#3) | 1 / 11
|
3
|
Opposition |
References
edit- ^ "MOVING PEOPLE FORWARD (Manifesto 2022)" (PDF). PAM People's Action Movement. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ "Andrew Holness on Twitter". 18 November 2018.
- ^ Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume I, pp576-578 ISBN 978-0-19-928357-6
- ^ "Ambassador Her Excellency Constance V Mitcham to be Honoured at Annual SPBS Awards Gala". Times Caribbean. 23 August 2015.
- ^ "Women Now Running "tings" in Labour & PAM". MyVuewNews.com. 20 May 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Hewlett, LK (13 July 2012). "Lindsay Grant Resigns as Leader of PAM". St. Kitts & Nevis Observer. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
- ^ "Grant Puts Country Above Self-Says Supporters".
- ^ "Simmonds Releases His Autobiography". SKNIS. 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Lindsay Grant - SC #4". PAM.
- ^ "St Kitts: Natasha Grey-Brookes becomes first female leader of PAM | Loop Caribbean News". Loop News.
- ^ "FORMER PM AND NATIONAL HERO DR. KENNEDY SIMMONDS CONGRATULATES NATASHA GREY-BROOKES ON HISTORIC ELECTION AS PAM LEADER".
- ^ "PAM names its first female Political Leader: Natasha Grey-Brookes – VON Radio". 22 May 2023.
External links
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