Date Approaching for ABEC Challenge

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Politics

Friday, 25 May 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St John's - June 6 is the confirmed date for the court hearing on the constitutional challenge mounted by former chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Elections Commission (ABEC) Sir Gerald Watt against Attorney General Justin Simon, Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, and newly appointed ABEC chairman Juno Samuel.

The pre-trial hearing will be heard in civil court.

Sir Gerald said on Wednesday that since new uniforms, the appointment of the new ABEC chairman was deemed illegal through a recent court ruling, the Electoral Commission has been somewhat dormant.

Attorney Dr David Dorset is trying the case.

Caribarena.com had sought answers from ABEC about its plans, and the status of the proposed voters’ re-registration process that was only recently reiterated by Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer at a townhall meeting in St John’s.

A representative at the Commission said that since the chairman was off island, no information could be provided.

Sir Watt, however, said he heard no updates about ABEC moving forward from any of his contacts on the inside.

“I don't hear anything happening. All can’t be well,” Sit Watt said.

He cited the non-publication of the voters’ list and the breaches of the law in regards to the issuance of new voters’ identification cards every ten years.

“People change and that provision in the law really accounted for what people thought was re-registration. A number of people in the media and in the political arena were also saying that foolishness (that new ID cards meant a re-registration) when in fact what they were talking about was the change of the identification cards,” Sir Watt said.

In the meantime, electoral watchdog Rick James said he too has heard nothing about ABEC progress, outside of the prime minister’s announcement of a proposed complete re-registration.

“I am skeptical about those pronouncements," he said. "The League is skeptical about those pronouncements.”

He opined that ABEC seems to be in a “wait and see position” in light of the legal challenges mounted by Sir Gerald.

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