How an election is conducted is as important as the outcome – Eustace

In the coming days and weeks, the New Democratic Party (NDP) intends to engage in various and vigorous forms of protest to draw attention to what they allege to be “acts and omissions” of the supervisor of elections Sylvia Findlay and returning officer in Central Leeward Winston Gaymes in the conduct of the December 2015 general elections.{{more}}

In an address to the nation that was broadcast on SVG Television, Leader of the Opposition Arnhim Eustace said how an election is conducted is just as important as the outcome.

“The process is every bit as important as the outcome. The ends do not and cannot justify the means. With respect to elections, if they are not conducted substantially within the framework of the law, then we simply have no democracy. Anyone who tries to minimize the importance of the process is anti-democratic and therefore stands against you the people in the exercise of your franchise, your hard fought right to vote,” Eustace said.

The NDP president said he came to the people to arm them with information that “beyond doubt” something “did indeed go wrong” in the December 2015 elections.

He said that any day now, the court will rule on an application made by lawyers for the government to have the election petitions filed by the NDP thrown out on a technicality.

“Rather than allow the petitions to be tried in court on their merits, they are asking the court to throw them out on a technicality so that you the people will never see and hear and the court will never see and hear and consider the body of evidence we have amassed in respect to the petitions,” Eustace said.

The Opposition Leader said rule 15 (2) C of the election rules states that every ballot shall contain a space reserved for the initials and official stamp of the presiding officer.