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JLP considering magisterial recounts for marginal seats
JLP Chairman Mike Henry.
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is on Tuesday morning signalling that it is not ruling out the possibility of applying for magisterial recounts in closely contested seats in last week's General Election.
An official announcement is expected shortly.
One of the seats being eyed for a recount is South West St. Elizabeth where the JLP's candidate, Dr. Christopher Tufton, lost by 13 votes to the People's National Party's Hugh Buchanan.
JLP Chairman Mike Henry says the party is awaiting legal reports to decide its next move.
Mr. Henry revealed that the party will look at all its options.
“As far as I am concerned whatever the candidates recommends, like in the case of former Minister Tufton, which is a very close count, I would expect that we would pursue a magisterial recount but of course I haven’t got the legal report and anything that I get reports on that may also relate to reports that came from the EOJ [Electoral Office of Jamaica], I think the party must do an in depth examination of them all,” he said.
In the meantime, the JLP will be looking into reports that persons were paid to stay home and not vote in last week's General Election.
“Now obviously in what was the old time way of where you prevent people from coming to vote in garrison areas what may very well be is that people have found a way to pay people to stay home,”
“In that context based on a number of the reports that I am getting I would like to examine every possibility and then be able to be clear as to whether it is a rejection or merely equally one approach to campaigning that we haven’t considered,” Mr. Henry said.
In the meantime, the way is now clear for candidates in last Thursday's General Election to apply for magisterial recounts.
RJR News was informed on Monday night that the official counting of ballots in all 63 constituencies was completed on Sunday.
A source at the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EoJ) said the process ended with the counting of ballots in three remaining constituencies.
The last constituency counted was Westmoreland Central.
The decision to conduct counting on Sunday was made following consultations with the candidates and the returning officers.
With the final count now over, the candidates have four days in which they can apply for magisterial recounts.
In the interim, the Director of Elections can go ahead and inform the Governor-General that the People's National Party won the majority of seats in Parliament.
JLP Chairman Mike Henry.
The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is on Tuesday morning signalling that it is not ruling out the possibility of applying for magisterial recounts in closely contested seats in last week's General Election.
An official announcement is expected shortly.
One of the seats being eyed for a recount is South West St. Elizabeth where the JLP's candidate, Dr. Christopher Tufton, lost by 13 votes to the People's National Party's Hugh Buchanan.
JLP Chairman Mike Henry says the party is awaiting legal reports to decide its next move.
Mr. Henry revealed that the party will look at all its options.
“As far as I am concerned whatever the candidates recommends, like in the case of former Minister Tufton, which is a very close count, I would expect that we would pursue a magisterial recount but of course I haven’t got the legal report and anything that I get reports on that may also relate to reports that came from the EOJ [Electoral Office of Jamaica], I think the party must do an in depth examination of them all,” he said.
In the meantime, the JLP will be looking into reports that persons were paid to stay home and not vote in last week's General Election.
“Now obviously in what was the old time way of where you prevent people from coming to vote in garrison areas what may very well be is that people have found a way to pay people to stay home,”
“In that context based on a number of the reports that I am getting I would like to examine every possibility and then be able to be clear as to whether it is a rejection or merely equally one approach to campaigning that we haven’t considered,” Mr. Henry said.
In the meantime, the way is now clear for candidates in last Thursday's General Election to apply for magisterial recounts.
RJR News was informed on Monday night that the official counting of ballots in all 63 constituencies was completed on Sunday.
A source at the Electoral Office of Jamaica (EoJ) said the process ended with the counting of ballots in three remaining constituencies.
The last constituency counted was Westmoreland Central.
The decision to conduct counting on Sunday was made following consultations with the candidates and the returning officers.
With the final count now over, the candidates have four days in which they can apply for magisterial recounts.
In the interim, the Director of Elections can go ahead and inform the Governor-General that the People's National Party won the majority of seats in Parliament.
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