The latest challenge to the Elections Results 2015 is expected by the losing party. As the calypso says, the winner always say that the Judges were right.
It is not my intention to decide if the Elections and Boundaries Commission was right or wrong in the interpretation of the law. I am not qualified to interpret the law, which is legal sense. But I do have a level head and common sense.
In my opinion, the EBC should have consulted the two main parties at the very least (three since the ILP nominated more than 21 candidates) and if possible, the Political Leaders of the other fringe parties. Consensus should have been obtained before announcing the one-hour extension because the PNM or UNC (who-ever is the loser) would be expected to challenge the results. Instead, the EBC acted on its own (or so we think) and we now have a legal challenge that will be expensive to the taxpayer. We are now at the stage of the legal battle that will be drawn out and again I repeat, expensive to the taxpayer. The UNC is challenging the results in six constituencies:
Moruga/Tableland Margin of 533 = 2.5% of voters
St Joseph Margin of 1633 =8.4% of voters
La Horquetta/Talparo margin of 2815 =15.6% ofvoters
San Fernando West margin of 3310 = 19.6% of
voters
Tunapuna margin of 3615 = 19.2% of
voters
Toco/Sangre Grande margin of 3904 = 19.4% of
voters
Using the principle of level head and common sense, the average hourly vote in twelve hours is 8.33% and it is not expected that more than 16.66% of voters will be present in that last extra hour. Otherwise there will be a long line after 07.00pm. But each will have their opinion.
In the end the courts will first have to decide if the EBC had the right to extend the Elections 2015 by one hour. If the Courts decide that the EBC does not have such right, then all seats with a margin of victory of less than 3904 votes and won by the UNC must also be declared null and void. These seats include:
Barataria/San Juan—540
Chaguanas East— 1424
Pointe-a-Pierre— 1506
Mayaro— 2894
Cumuto/Manzanilla—3179
Fyzabad— 3802
The High Court must fast-track the decision and bring this to quick end.
Philip Ayoung-Chee