FRIDAY,
DECEMBER 15, 2017
VOLUME 111, No.49
www.thevincentian.com
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JUSTICE HENRY TO RULE EARLY 2018 constituency of Central Leeward, sometime early in the New Year. Justice Henry told the court on Wednesday, following two days of arguments from the petitioners and respondents, that her decision has been reserved, and adjourned the matter to a date in January or February 2018, to be decided by the High Court Registrar 2018.
The issue The matter before the court, follows on the petitions filed by Benjamin Exeter and Lauren Baptiste, New Democratic Party (NDP) candidates in the last general Legal Counsel for the election for the petitioners, Stanley ‘Stalky’ constituencies of John Q.C. checks his notes. Central Leeward and North by DAYLE DA SILVA Windward respectively. At the centre of the JUSTICE ESCO HENRY has melee are allegations, indicated that she intends first made in June, that to deliver her decision on there were irregularities whether to grant in the ballots used, permission for the leading to an application inspection of all 15 ballot by the petitioners for the boxes used in the 2015 inspection of the ballot General Elections for the
boxes. When the matter was heard in the High Court in October, the respondents stated then that both parties had agreed to conditions, and were presenting a draft consent order to the court for the inspection of the ballot boxes in only four of the polling stations from Central Leeward — CLF, CLF1, CLE and CLE1. But the petitioners objected, saying that they were seeking to have inspection in all 15 polling stations. A subsequent application was filed on November 9.
The Petitioners’ argument On Tuesday of this week, Stanley ‘Stalky’ John Q.C., representing the petitioners, made it clear that the petitioners had filed the application for production and inspection purposes only, and not for recount or scrutiny reasons. He further argued that there were irregularities with the ballots used that compromised the conduct of the electoral officers. “The end result is that hundreds of ballots were accepted as invalid, but
Senior Counsels Anthony Astaphan (left) and Douglas Mendes exchange a moment this week. still counted,” John argued. He further contended that the privacy of the votes cast was compromised, contrary to Section 31(2) in the rules and guidelines for general elections.
This section deals with the manner in which ballots ought to be handled before being placed in the ballot box. According to John, the faulty design and folding of the ballots meant that the officers present
would have seen for which candidate the voters cast their ballot, a direct breach of the rules which stated that a voter must vote in secrecy. Continued on Page 3.