Attorney General Says COVID-19 Positive Persons Still Can’t Vote

Michael Peyrefitte

A decision taken by the prime minister to restrict COVID-positive persons from voting in the November eleventh general elections is not sitting well with a number of persons for various reasons. That decision robs persons of their constitutional right to vote. And some feel that in areas like Orange Walk where there are hundreds of active cases, it can affect the results of the elections.  Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte says that notwithstanding the concerns, COVID-positive persons still won’t be able to vote. 

Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General

“We went to the House and we passed the laws that enables the Minister of Health in the interest of maintaining health safety standards to do what he feels he needs to do to protect the rest of us. Now if you are in quarantine then the government has decided that you need to stay in quarantine. You see this is the next thing too; people have to decide how they want it sliced. Let’s just say the government had said that you would be able to vote even though you are in quarantine, then the entire public would know that you are COVID positive. Then again, you hear people cry when they say we noh want people’s identities being revealed as to who is COVID-19 positive cause it is privacy. So which is it that you want? People can talk, people can speculate, but any responsible government has to make decisions. Those decisions are not always popular but we have to do what is in the best interest of the public. And if people believe what we are doing is illegal, the courts are wide open; take your matter there.  It’s not just P.U.P. people who have COVID-19; U.D.P. people have COVID-19 too. So we would say it balances out; that the same amount of people who probably wouldn’t be able to vote for P.U.P. can’t vote for U.D.P. either. So people who claim it is a political decision are just downright stupid. This is a health issue and we are trying to make sure that the rest of us who don’t have it don’t get it. And we are trying to protect those very same persons who already have it to ensure that they are in a controlled environment where they can be cared for.”