By: T. Chapman

Election 2017, was seen as a pivotal election in Nevis; however it appeared as though that only one political Party was prepared to do battle. Eight months after, the Nevis Reformation Party has shown the same lack of enthusiasm they approached the election with. A vibrant opposition needs strong charismatic leaders who are relatable, who understands politics and are fearless.

The difficulty the Nevis Reformation Party has found itself in is self-inflicted. Chief among their issues are the incapacity to listen, the lack of good politicians, the absence of humility and poor decision making. As a result, the party is forced to rebuild; having to do so sooner rather than later.

Post election 2017

The party had great ideas for developing Nevis but their style of politics was very brash, the party was unorganized and their team never seemed totally together, (For example, the party’s Facebook page disseminated a video which didn’t include the candidate for St. Pauls, Nevis 1). In addition, denigrating non-supporters and supporters alike hasn’t helped the party’s cause either. The end result, the party is in opposition.

After months of introspection, an NRP Convention should provide some insight as to what lessons the party has learnt since its loss.

With that said, the opportunity is ripe for the party to look into utilizing a broader more complex vote maximizing strategy which would aid in increasing their voter base. In the last election, some candidates appeared nonchalant and did very little to appeal to voters in their respective constituencies. Even though the party depended heavily on the vote on the ground, they failed to impress upon their regular voters the importance of their vote, ‘NRP took its supporters for granted.’

However dismal the Government performance was, it is evident that NRP was misguided by the pollings they would have conducted and seemingly believed they had the election won.

If the notion that one of the major characteristics of political parties is that they must seek power is to hold true, then the Nevis Reformation Party needs to wake up from their sleep. When and if they do, fresh personalities and a new strategy team must be brought into the fold. It definitely can’t be business as usual, the incoming executive must be mindful of keywords like, Tact, Charm, Charisma, Confidence and Relatable.

Miracles don’t happen overnight, but the time is right for the NRP to make all the necessary changes to remain relevant.

Once that is done, formulating a Public Relations Strategy Team is essential. The party however, must tread carefully given the fact that it lacks an influential voice at present.

The representatives of the NRP cannot afford to take their campaign just to their ‘Whatsapp Contacts’ only but instead utilize all possible avenues, print & online media, Facebook and Radio to redeem themselves.

With a Federal election looming and the Harris led Government suggesting the possibility of increasing the Federal seats in Nevis from three to five, it’s baffling to understand why the NRP continues to be silent and seemingly in disarray.