Stop the nonsense; time to move on

Editor: I’ve deliberately refused to say much post-election because it is crystal clear that the ULP won fair and square. Those who cannot see it are looking through coloured blinkers. It is also time to move on, rather than to deepen the partisan political divisive strife which is so pervasive in our country. In 2009, the ‘No Vote,’ fuelled by the NDP, “won” the Referendum. In 2010, the NDP picked up four more seats than it had before. Both elections were supervised by the same supervisor of elections with largely the same staff in the Electoral Office as the 2015 Elections. How is it that she is now a biased cheat? Is it because the ULP gained some ground in this election?

It’s time to stop fuelling this nonsense about 320 plus mutilated ballots or illegal voters. The elections were one month and two days ago. Both the agents for the ULP and NDP were there at the preliminary and final counts. If there were more than 320 mutilated ballots, why did this not come out until the final count? Why conveniently 320? Is it because as the NDP contends Ben Exeter won by 6, as opposed to the official results, as witnessed in both the preliminary and final counts, that Sir Louis Straker won by 314? Is it that the NDP agent at the preliminary count was asleep?

Let’s say that when the counterfoil was separated from the ballot, it was torn in a peculiar way. Won’t this ballot be identifiable because of the way in which it was torn? What then happens to the secrecy of the ballot? Remember that the voter registration number is recorded on the counterfoil.

If the judgment is defective, plain and simple, appeal it. Also, let the Election Petitions make their way through the court system. All this noise and protest action is just plain stupid. The supervisor of elections is powerless to change the will of the people, and she cannot dissolve Parliament and call fresh elections.

The claims that there is no independence of the judiciary here are baseless. If that were the case, why did the judge rule against the Government in the recent matter of Toussaint v Attorney General. I predicted these claims a long time ago, however. The modus operandi of the NDP seems to be to discredit every person or organization that acts against its interests, for example, all the election observer bodies. And I expect these claims to deepen when the Election Petitions fail. Yes, I said when. Here’s why.

The NDP in their own Election Petitions quoted the section of the Representation of the People Act which will be their downfall. The overriding principle is fairness according to Section 60 (reproduced below). Was the election conducted fairly? Yes!

60. Non-compliance with rules, etc., when not to invalidate election

“Notwithstanding anything contained in the provisions of this Act, no election shall be declared invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of this Act or of the rules thereto or of the regulations made thereunder, or any mistake in the use of the forms prescribed under this Act, if it appears to the court having cognizance of the question that the election was conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in this Act, and that such non-compliance or mistake did not affect the result of the election.”

It really is time to pick up the pieces and move on. Sadly, the NDP yet again are refraining from making the big decisions. They are waiting for Mr Eustace to give up the ghost, a man who has been rejected four times by the electorate. His actions now are understandable. He has been backed into a corner and he has nothing to lose. So, like the timid white snake, he will fight his way out against all odds. He will do all in his power to create civil unrest and political strife. He will not go to Parliament; he will urge the continuing of the protests; he will not condemn the incitement of riots or the urging to burn down the country and he will spread rumours like the 18 per cent increase of VAT. Whilst for the continued life of the ULP I would like him to remain as Opposition Leader and NDP President, strengthened democracy demands that the NDP at this juncture starts to rebuild. The first step must be that this Political Dinosaur hangs up his boots.

Kezron JS Walters