<<Print>>A new Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant for the Okaikoi South Constituency, Ms Vickie Bright, wants the results of the constituency primary that took place on August 2, 2015 annulled.
According to her, it was in the best interest of the party for the election to be annulled to send a clear signal to the nation that “the NPP is a party which believes in the rule of law, due process and a clean electoral system.” In the Okaikoi South Primary, the incumbent Mr Ahmed Arthur polled 505 votes to beat Ms Bright, who withdrew from the race shortly after it had started.
She polled 29 votes.
Adducing reasons for calling for the annulment of the primary, Ms Bright said evidence showed that a totally different voters register was used on that day.
Ms Bright, who sent a petition to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NPP, is, therefore, complaining that the infraction gave an opportunity for persons whose names were not on the duly certified voters register to cast their ballot.
Ms Bright said it was rather ironic and very unfortunate that a party which proceeded to challenge the results of the last presidential elections on the basis of various irregularities and malpractices, including multiple voting and unlawful casting of ballots, will organise parliamentary primaries right after that contest, and permit the use of a wrong voters register.
Notice of poll
Furthermore, she stated that no Notice of Poll was even put up in relation to the election that purportedly took place for the Okaikoi South Constituency.
‘’There was also no accreditation for those purported elections. Nor did I have any of my agents present,’’ she stressed.
She pointed out in the petition that the constituency primary was supplanted through a sublime conspiracy between the party’s General Secretary and Ahmed Arthur, the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area.
She explained that the supreme interest of the party necessitated that the party cleared up its image by a nullification of the polls in the Okaikoi South Constituency.
Ms Bright also stated in the petition that “posterity will not forgive us if we provide room for our opponents to point to our own malpractices in that constituency in response to any allegation of irregularities and violations in the 2016 General Elections.’’
She expressed the hope that the party would address her petition within seven days of receipt of same, failing to do so means “we have no option but to commence an action in the law courts against the party for a nullification of the outcome of the purported election.”