Corporation can function while Lengua/Indian Walk matter resolved

THE absence of an elected representative for Lengua/Indian Walk will not stop the Princes Town Regional Corporation (PTRC) from functioning.

Lengua/Indian Walk is one of ten districts that fall under the PTRC. The UNC won all other nine districts in the August 14 local government elections.

Officials at the PTRC, speaking on condition of anonymity on Wednesday, said a quorum of councillors exists to allow the operations of the corporation to proceed.

One official said the PTRC "can function without the Lengua/Indian Walk seat until it is resolved."

A second official said life in the district continues as usual as the PTRC continues to serve all its burgesses.

On August 19, UNC vice-chairman Khadijah Ameen hinted that the absence of a Lengua/Indian Walk councillor could affect the voting for PTRC chairman.

"You can’t deprive him of a right to vote.”

Incumbent chairman Gowrie Roopnarine remains in office until a new chairman is elected.

Ameen said after all votes were tallied in each corporation, the EBC would tell each party how many aldermen they were entitled to, and the parties will send these names to the EBC, which in turn will pass them on to each corporation.

Preliminary results in the elections showed the PNM candidate the Rev Autly Granthume winning the district 1,430 to 1,425 over his UNC rival Nicole Gopaul. This would have given the PNM a presence on the PTRC it has not had since 1996-1999, when Godfrey Lee Sing was  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 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 a tie, the election is to be declared void and a new election held as soon as possible.

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. The ballot also lacks a polling station number.

Last week, Princes Town MP Barry Padarath said the vote would resolve the tie in the UNC's favour.

On Monday, the UNC initiated legal action against the EBC.

Newsday understands that the commission's lawyers were present when an election petition on the issue was filed at the High Court in Port of Spain.

So far, no date has been set for hearing the matter.