Free and Fair Elections
Editorial
In a communique released yesterday by the Labour Party leader toexplain his decision to withdraw his electoral petition contesting the election of the three candidates of the Alliance Morisien in the November 2019 in Constituency No. 10 (Montagne Blanche/Grande Riviere Sud-Est), Navin Ramgoolam argues that it could be expected that an eventual appeal to the Privy Council against the decision of the Supreme Court in this particular case would most likely be determined by the Law Lords not before 2024, that is the year when the next general elections are likely to be held. That, he contends, would defeat the purpose of his petition. The Labour Party’s and indeed the Opposition’s challenge of the 2019 elections, which they held to have been corrupt, now hangs on the decision of the Law Lords in the case entered by unreturned candidate Suren Dayal whose petition calls for the invalidation of the election of the Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, and his two running mates, Education minister Hon Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun and former Commerce minister Yogida Sawmynaden, in Quartier-Militaire/Moka. This case will hopefully be heard and judgement delivered much earlier, in which case it could have an impact over the timing of the next general elections should it go through.
It will be recalled that the main arguments put forward by Suren Dayal in his petition relate to alleged electoral bribery/corruption and the undue influence of electors in No 8 as against those pursued by a number of unreturned candidates in their petitions, which were grounded on objections relating to discrepancies in the Recapitulation of Votes form, the opacity surrounding the operation of Computer Rooms at Counting Centres. Four such petitions have been dismissed by the Supreme Court, and four others withdrawn by the petitioners themselves. Read More… Become a Subscriber
Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 7 October 2022
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