AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Elections PUP ready to challenge San Pedro elections results

The People's United Party says it has compiled enough evidence to challenge the San Pedro municipal elections results. PUP Leader John Briceno says that they have identified inconsistencies with the number of ballots cast to the number of ballots counted. Today Briceno confidently said that Andre Perez won the mayoral seat

John Briceno, Leader PUP

"Yesterday the legal advisor gave a presentation to the National Executive and the recommendation was and still is that we should challenge it. We believe that something went wrong and we need to make sure that we have all of the doubt cleared. We believe that Andre is the legitimate mayor of San Pedro, that he won that election and that is why we are challenging that election. Well there have been a lot of inconsistencies that is why we are challenging the results- certain boxes did not tally, there were missing ballots, we have I think about 275 ballots that are accounted for we do not know where those ballots are. So there are number of inconsistencies that can raise and create doubt as to the legitimacy of that election." The challenge is expected to be filed this week.

LOVEFM

PUP Petitions To Strike Down San Pedro Election Result

The PUP has formally filed an election petition in the Supreme Court - asking the court to strike out the election outcome in San Pedro - where the UDP won by a fairly close margin. The petition points to a a number of what the PUP says are significant irregularities with the balloting.

The Courtenay Coye law firm made the filing and the 9 page document argues that the election was not carried out in line with set regulations and the non compliance affected the outcome of the election.

They point to three main irregularities: first the allegation of 275 missing ballots from one box; second, 688 ballots that are unaccounted for in the final tally; and, third, the information from elections and boundaries that 550 persons cast their votes after the polls closed at 6:00.

The petition argues that these discrepancies affected the result of the election, and the outcome should be declared void.

The petition also points to a number of additional discrepancies.

No date has been set for hearing.

We note that election petitions - and there have been very many filed over the decades since self government - do not have a history of success in the courts. This is the first one in memory filed in relation to the outcome of a municipal election.

In San Pedro, the UDP Mayor Danny Guerrero won by only 38 votes, while 6 UDP councillors were elected by an average margin of 250 to 300 votes.

Channel 7

The PUP almost ready to file a petition for new municipal elections in San Pedro

The People's United Party (PUP) are making final preparations before heading to the Supreme Court to challenge the results of the San Pedro Municipal Elections held on March 7th, where the United Democratic Party emerged victoriously. The final detail before taking the case to court is to have all of the candidates from the PUP's slate sign the petition that points out inconsistencies in the electoral process and the unaccountability of 275 ballots.

According to PUP Senator and Attorney at Law, Eamon Courtenay they have 21 days to present the case to the court after the official results are published in the Government Gazette. He also mentioned that they have official documents showing the missing ballots. The PUP party is determined to fight their case and expects to get a fair trial at the Supreme Court for a possible new election on the island.

PUP challenge validity of the San Pedro Town Board election in Supreme Court petition

The March 7, 2018 municipal elections have come and gone and those elected in the municipalities across the country are busy at work trying to fulfil the pledges they made to the voters who elected them.

In San Pedro, however, the Town Board that was sworn in on March 13 is being challenged in a Supreme Court election petition filed by the Opposition People's United Party. The PUP filed their election petition on Thursday, March 22.

On election night, when the results were being announced, the PUP slate in San Pedro was announced as the winner. Something happened, however, when a recount of the ballots was ordered and the incumbent United Democratic Party emerged as the winner and were subsequently sworn in office.

The UDP victory in San Pedro was soon under challenge by the PUP, which dispatched its attorneys to the island, as another round of counting had gotten underway the following day, Thursday, March 8.

When the UDP team emerged as the winner in San Pedro, the PUP immediately began its legal process to take the matter to the Supreme Court.

In the election petition the PUP filed, their mayoral candidate, Abner Andre Perez, and his six councilor candidates, were named as the petitioners, while the UDP San Pedro mayor, Daniel "Danny" Guerrero, and his six councilors were named as the respondents. In addition, the election petition named Catherine Cumberbatch, the returning officer, as an 8th respondent, and the Attorney General of Belize as an interested party.

The PUP petition makes the claim that there were 675 registered voters in 11 ballot books, but after the election, the officials could only account for 400. The petition is claiming that the missing 275 are sufficient to affect the outcome of the election.

The petition also stated that based on the final result, some 550 voters were present at polling area 37 around 6:00 p.m. That, among other discrepancies, says the PUP petition, shows that the election was not conducted in accordance with the rules laid out in the Town Council (registration and electors and elections) Regulations. The PUP is asking the court to declare that Mayor Guerrero and his council were not duly elected, that the election be declared void, that the election of Guerrero and his council be considered undue, and any other declaration that may be just.

The court has not yet set a date for hearing the petition. The petition was filed by the law firm of Courtenay Coye, LLP.

Amandala