Irregularities mar East Central St James vote

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

Even after the final votes were tallied for East Central St James last Saturday night, the returning officer supervising the recount, Cleveland Parker, has not officially declared the seat.

The seat was contested by outgoing Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, representing the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), and banker Cedric Stewart of the People's National Party.

Bartlett won the seat with 6,337 votes to Stewart's 6,172.

Indications are that a box containing ballots for election-day workers was tampered with, spurring lawyers representing Stewart to call for a magisterial recount.

Confirming the plans to take the matter to the courts, Montego Bay attorney Clayton Morgan told The Gleaner yesterday that they would be challenging irregularities related to 162 rejected ballots, which had markings of Xs next to the names of the three candidates contesting the seat.

He added that, depending on the findings of the court, there were plans to pursue a request to have the election declared null and void.

Morgan's warnings have not deterred Bartlett, who said he welcomes the move for a magisterial recount.

In fact, Bartlett said he was confident this would see him receiving more votes "because they rejected 151 of the votes that were all clear Xs for the bell". The bell is the symbol of the JLP.

He added that it was inconceivable that none of the presiding officers, one-day police personnel and other election workers voted for him. As it now stands, 247 votes from the workers went to Stewart, and reportedly none to Bartlett.

Bartlett, who has served as member of Parliament for the constituency for the past nine years, said he was now awaiting a certificate of poll from the returning officer who has to officially declare the seat.

Independent candidate Royston Richards, who received 24 votes, could not be reached for comment and efforts to get information from the Electoral Commission of Jamaica were unsuccessful.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com