High Court judge, Justice Esco Henry has dismissed as an abuse of the court’s process the application by the main opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) to inspect the ballot boxes used in the Central Leeward constituency in the December 2015 general election.
In handing down her decision this morning, the Judge also ruled that costs be awarded against the applicant, and adjourned hearing of the election petitions in Central Leeward and North Windward, to a date to be agreed by the parties.
Attorneys for the NDP’s candidate in Central Leeward, Ben Exeter, had filed an application for inspection of the ballots and counterfoils used in that constituency.
Exeter’s case was essentially that the ballots were designed contrary to how the election rules prescribed.
The NDP also claimed that the Supervisor of Elections, Sylvia Findlay-Scrubb, and the returning officer for Central leeward, Winston Gaymes, did not act in accordance with the law.
Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves in commenting on the High Court ruling congratulated the lawyers for the attorney general, the Supervisor of Elections, and Sir Louis Straker, the Unity Labour Party (ULP) candidate in Central Leeward.
Speaking via telephone on the Shakeup program aired here on WEFM, from Haiti where he is attending the 29th Intersessional summit of CARICOM Heads of Government, Prime Minister Gonsalves said he was confident from the beginning that the application by Ben Exeter will fail.
Prime Minister Gonsalves said the fact that costs was awarded against the applicant, Ben Exeter, indicates the view the High Court Judge has about this application.
Dr. Gonsalves led the ULP to an 8-7 victory in the December 2015 polls for a fourth consecutive term in office.
