Lengua/Indian Walk PNM candidate calls for tiebreaker by-election

PNM Lengua/Indian Walk candidate the Rev Autly Granthume believes a fresh election is the best solution to resolving the tie there after the August 14 local government elections.

On Monday, Granthume told Newsday, "I feel the best way is to allow the people to speak."

He said there are times when human error could happen.

Granthume also said there are other times when: "We need to understand and interpret law as it ought to be done."

He was confident of winning the district with a clear majority should a by-election be held.

"I will be going, God being my helper, and with the support of the people."

Granthume believes he had certain strengths which allowed him to make inroads into what was considered a UNC stronghold.

"I'm a down-to-earth person with the residents not only of Lengua/Indian Walk but from Princes Town to Marac."

Granthume said his work as a pastor and the people he helps has shown him to be someone who represents everyone.

"I believe this is the time that God would have me to make a greater contribution to people."

UNC candidate Nicole Gopaul could not be contacted by phone or message.

Preliminary results in the elections showed Granthume winning the district 1,430 to 1,425 over Gopaul. This would have given the PNM a presence on the Princes Town Regional Corporation (PTRC) it has not had since 1996-1999, when Godfrey Lee Sing was the councillor for Moruga.

On August 15, the UNC requested a recount of the votes in the district.

On August 16, the recount resulted in the PNM and UNC being tied with 1,428 votes each.

In a statement, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) said a second recount would be done on August 17.

Should repeated recounts fail to resolve an electoral tie, the deadlock can be broken through the application of Election Rule 101 (15) of the Representation of the People Act, which says, “Where the recount results in an equality of votes between or among the candidates obtaining the most votes the chief election officer shall so certify to the returning officer who shall declare the election void and a new election shall, as soon as possible, be held in accordance with these (election) rules.”

The second recount continued on August 18.

In a statement on August 18, the EBC said the second recount ended in a tie. As a result, the commission's returning officer for Lengua/Indian Walk has declared the election result in the district void.

The commission said once this is certified by chief election officer Fern Narcis-Scope, a fresh election can take place.

However, the UNC has insisted the situation could be resolved by accepting one vote deemed invalid by the EBC because it had not been initialled by an EBC official.

Last week, Princes Town MP Barry Padarath said this vote would resolve the tie in the UNC's favour. In a letter to the EBC on August 18, the UNC threatened legal action against the commission if it did not validate this single ballot, which it claimed could resolve the tie.

Newsday understands no by-election can take place in Lengua/Indian Walk until any legal matters related to the electoral tie are resolved.