13 candidates lose election deposit

The $6,500 deposited at the government treasury by 13 of the candidates in the December 9 general elections will remain in the Consolidated Fund.

All of the candidates put forward by the Democratic Republican Party (DRP) and the Green Party (GP) have forfeited the $500 they each deposited on November 20, when they were nominated to contest the general elections.{{more}}

The Representation of the People Act (1982) states that the deposit of a candidate shall be forfeited if the candidate is found not to have polled more than 15 per cent of the total number of valid votes polled.

The three-year-old DRP, in its first outing, recorded a modest total of 154 votes. Their tally, though small, was, however, double the number of votes secured by the 10-year-old Green Party, which was contesting general elections for the third time.

DRP leader Anesia Baptiste was the most successful candidate of the smaller parties, bringing home 45 votes in the West St George constituency. Her husband, Calvert Baptiste, also fared relatively well with his 35 votes in East St George. The four other DRP candidates polled as follows: Karima Paris (EK) – 23; Harron Grant (NCW) – 17; Wendell Parris (SL) – 19; George Byron (NW) – 15.

Of the candidates entered by the Green Party, Ivan O’Neal, the party’s leader, led the way with 25 votes in South Windward. This is by far O’Neal’s best showing since he first offered himself for office in 2005. That year, he contested the East St George seat and returned 14 votes. In 2010, he tried his luck in Central Kingstown, where he recorded 12 votes.

His other candidates were Christian Walrond (NW) – 5; Kenneth Horne (SCW) – 4; Adella Samuel (M) – 5; Kadmiel McFee (ESG) – 13; Marsha Caruth (CK) – 11; Natasha Black (WK) – 14.