Final Touches for First-Ever Municipal Election Petition

Eamon Courtenay

The first of its kind election petition challenging the results of March seventh’s elections in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, is on its way to the courts to be filed, once all candidates from the People’s United Party’s slate have signed and the relevant parties served. The petition questions what P.U.P. leader John Briceño on Tuesday called “inconsistencies” with the count. According to him, certain boxes were not tallied and as many as two hundred and seventy-five ballots are not accounted for. The party’s point man on the case, Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay, says there is a provision under the Town Councils Act allowing for petitions similar to those filed after a general election under the Representation of the People Act.

Eamon Courtenay, Legal Advisor, P.U.P.

“The papers have been prepared; they have to be signed by all the candidates and that is the process that is being undertaken, and then it has to be served on all the parties.”

Reporter

“So next week?”

Eamon Courtenay

“I don’t know; we had twenty-one days from the date of publication in the Gazette. We want to deal with it as quickly as we can. It is being signed and once it is ready and prepared, we will file it as quickly as we can.  The Town Councils Act speaks specifically to the regulations applicable to holding of elections and election petitions for Town Councils and the way petitions are to be brought. So it is the Town Councils Act that have passed regulations that speak to the issue.”