EC calls for petitions

Main Stories, National
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The National, Thursday July 19th, 2012

CANDIDATES having issues with the election process in their electorates have been advised to make it known to the Electoral Commission by way of a petition.
Electoral Commissioner Andrew Trawen said on Tuesday that such petitions should be presented after the results were declared.
Trawen said that the  issues of disputed ballot boxes would not stop counting as the deadline for the return of writs was fast approaching.
“Let me reiterate, with regards to disputed boxes, there is no need to suspend counting. Put the disputed boxes aside and continue counting,” he said.
“During the process our legal advisers will make a decision on next course of action,” he said.
He said that the electorates could not have a situation where counting was continually held up by scrutineers in counting centres.
Trawen said he had urged returning officers to make decisions based on the evidence before them.
“If scrutineers still have complaints or concerns, they can petition the court as they wish,” Trawen said.
He said he was unable to comment on reports that a number of originating summonses filed by candidates throughout the country had allegedly been dismissed by the Supreme Court as reported in The National newspaper yesterday.
“I do not have a copy of the Supreme Court ruling, however, as reported, all 33 originating summonses seeking short-term orders such as to stop or delay counting have been allegedly dismissed on grounds that their substantive matters can be raised in petitions after the elections,” he said.
He said he was happy to learn that the Supreme Court Registry had come up with a newly-established system where election-related matters would be registered with respective court registries before proceeding to the Chief Justice and his deputy to be dealt with.
Trawen urged all his returning officers and election managers to return the writs after declaration of successful winners in their respective electorates before next Wednesday.