O’NEAL MAY FILE INJUNCTION TO GET NOMINATION PAPERS

Elections Supervisor Rodney Adams is urging persons to find the registering officer in their constituency and have their names put on the voters’ list. Today is the 4th day of the 15-day special registration period that ends on November 22.

Those attaining the age of 18 years by November 22 will have their first opportunity to exercise their constitutional right. {{more}}

Adams however, has had to deal with some complaints. Opposition leader Arnhim Eustace has alleged that the voters’ list is padded, with over 2000 names of persons dead, overseas or unknown.

Adams is dealing with matters based on the individual circumstances.

He expressed caution about taking people off the list. Adams cited instances of “double registration,” but revealed that there were instances where two persons and sometimes more, had the same name.

Eustace has also expressed concern about Registering Officers carrying out the process at their homes. Adams conceded that the registering officers were entrusted with the responsibility of registering constituents and can do this at any time, in any location once they satisfy the requirements of the law.

The recently formed Green Party, led by Ivan O’Neal has been challenging the party’s exclusion from the electoral process. He contended that his party’s omission from the process of securing scrutineers has been unfair. A ruling on that affair was still pending up to press time Wednesday.

O’Neal is also upset that other parties were given copies of the Voters’ list, but that the Green Party was not. O’Neal was also up in arms that Nomination Papers had not been given to him. He is threatening to go to the High Court today Friday, November 11, if his requests are not met.

O’Neal alluded to this treatment of the Green Party as “unacceptable and unreasonable.”

The Green Party leader called for equal treatment with the other two political parties.

A complaint has also been lodged with the National Monitoring and Consultative Mechanism. O’Neal plans to ask the judge to order the Supervisor of Elections to hand over the Nomination Papers and the Master copy of the Voters’ list.

He dismissed the explanation provided by Deputy Election Supervisor Gwendolyn Burgin that no one knew the Green Party’s address. For O’Neal, that situation was “shocking.”

O’Neal accused Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of “calling the election blindfolded.” When asked to explain, he pointed out: “He does not have an economic plan.” O’Neal said his party, on the other hand, does.

The Green Party is expected to have a formal declaration of its candidates November 20. The Green Party was launched earlier this year.