Progressive Party to take legal action against EBC

THE Progressive Party will be taking legal action against the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) over the wrong symbol for the party being put on the ballot paper for the general election.

Party leader and San Fernando West candidate Nikoli Edwards said on Thursday, "The EBC is still to respond to us.

"We keep getting correspondences on all other matters, but they have not written in response to us or contacted us with respect to the correspondence that we sent them on Saturday (August 1)."

Edwards said the party had spoken to "a battery of lawyers who have agreed to take on our matter.

"They are confident that we have a strong case and as such we will be taking against the EBC."

While the particulars are still being examined, Edwards said the proposed action " may very well be filed through an election petition."

With two days left to campaign before Monday's election, Edwards said the party will be redoubling its efforts in San Fernando West. He is driving around in a vehicle with a public address system, handing out flyers and speaking with constituents.

Edwards remained optimistic about his chances on Monday.

"The response continues to be more than I anticipated."

As the party organises its team for election day, Edwards vowed, "We will leave no space, no road across the constituency unwalked."

Edwards is challenging Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi (PNM), Sean Sobers (UNC), Benison Jagesar (PEP) and Valmiki Ramsingh for San Fernando West.

Al-Rawi won the seat for the PNM in the September 7, 2015 general election.

In a statement on August 4, the EBC said Edwards failed to officially notify the commission there was "an anomaly in the representation of his political party’s symbol, when he filed his nomination papers."

Edwards subsequently rejected that statement.

Edwards said the party's symbol is a blue and gold flame with the words "Progressive Party" underneath it.

But on the ballot paper, he said, the symbol is the flame alone, without the party's name.

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