Candidate wants a recount for independence Village Council Election
marita linares
Village Council Elections were held on Sunday in Independence in the south and while there wasn’t the all out brawl as in San Juan in the north following the results, there is now a dispute surrounding the counting of ballots. Those votes were to determine who would sit as the village chairperson. The elections results were split, with the People’s United Party winning all councilors but the chairperson was declared in favor of the United Democratic Party. At the end of count, a total of forty-one ballots were spoilt and several remained unaccounted for. The PUP candidate says she requested a recount but it was not granted. Marita Linares, who ran for chairperson, spoke with News Five today and told us that they are seeking recourse for what they consider interference in due process.
Marita Linares, PUP Candidate, Independence Village
“The reality is we had based on the results presented by the elections officers we had nine hundred and sixty-four ballots that were cast and from that we had myself with four hundred and fifty-six votes. We had my opponent with four hundred and sixty-two votes and we had a total of forty-one spoilt ballots which means then that we have some ballots that are not accounted for at the moment and this is why, you know, we’re trying to see what can be done to make this right.”
Isani Cayetano
“Since that’s the basis of your challenge what course of action are you planning in order to rectify this situation.”
Marita Linares
“Well all we’re really asking for because the reality is I lost by six votes so all what we are asking for is that the people responsible that is the Election and Boundaries noh they give us the opportunity to review the forty one spoilt ballots. That is where we stand right now we want a review of the forty-one spoilt ballots.”
Isani Cayetano
“Did you request a recount of the ballots initially, all nine hundred and sixty odd of them?”
Marita Linares
“Yes we did but at that time it was almost twelve o’clock and I believe that you know the people in charge, you know, they, I don’t know if they did not want to take some more time but we had requested a recount but at the time it was denied.”
According to Linares all ballots should be accounted for in the interest of those who participated. Village Council Elections will be held this Sunday in other parts of the country and the seats in Trial Farm in Orange Walk are expected to be hotly contested.
Why doesn’t the news report who won the Village Council seats? The news reports for Channels and 5, LoveFM, etc., just report that a vote is contested or that X number of PUP won or X number of UDP won, but they never give the names!
Why? I’m sure people would like to know. I asked a friend the other day who lives in Independence about who won the elections, and she said she didn’t know, and that nobody she talked to knew. That’s not right.
We will have a report on our subsequent News cast.
the UDP will try and steal the votes,we can’t trust them,and all of us have a right to vote who we want…….we see the changes now !” people are waking up and thats good,let no politician come and buy your votes or treaten anyone,it is ur right and u choose ur representatives”. and a next thing the UDP are always the victims and when they are loosing they want to fight and all,the voter turn-out was very low ,in san jose the UDP only won by 130 something votes” a big discount compared to 2007,but the people in the north hasn’t forgotten when the HON “Dean Barrow ordered the security forces to remove the cane farmers at BSI with full force and unfortunately 1 lost his life and several injured ,I still remember what he said in national radio,”IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN…”I SHALL DO IT AGAIN ! THAT IS NOT MY INDUSTRY{referring to the sugar industry}-I REPEAT,THAT IS NOT MY INDUSTRY !”.He could have met with them when the canefarmers requested a meeting with the Hon Prime Minister” and nothing this far would have happened.So many people in the north are saying that u saw mr Dean Barrow in Doulas village,San Jose,San Pablo and why he never came to meet with the cane farmers? But now he remembers our votes.What a shame for U “Mr.DEAN BARROW”.
like i said be4. all we do is complain and blame. at the BSI event 80 percent who were involved are not even farmers they were only people wanting to create trouble. the same thing with the tower hill event a couple years ago most of the people involved were only there to big up the problem. like always the real persons who are affected dont even show up . its time 4 us to stop being so political and doing what the politician want.. when we are out there fighting they r happy but after wards both candidates r together drinking and eating.