MSM press conference held yesterday at the Sun Trust Building in Port Louis. Attorney General Maneesh Gobin commented at length on the Supreme Court ruling that ordered a recount of the votes in Constituency No. 19 (Stanley-Rose-Hill).
In the same vein, the Attorney General made it clear that the judgment has the full weight and authority of the Supreme Court. This is an exceptional judgment in an exceptional circumstance. Every case is different. No capave jump to conclusions because the facts are not the same for other election petitions. Each case is judged on its own merits,” he said.
On the other hand, Maneesh Gobin pointed out that the ‘recount’ of the votes concerns the ‘counter ballots’ and not the ‘reserve ballots’ as well as the votes that Ivan Collendavello and Jenny Adebiro obtained.
Denouncing the low-level comments, he stressed that it is necessary to wait for the counting of the votes to draw conclusions. ”We expect that the Master and Registar make li fast in the best possible conditions. The sooner the better”, he said.
He however emphasized the vigilance that will have to be exercised by the Returning Officer, the Electoral Commissioner, the Electoral Commission and the candidates concerned. Maneesh Gobin hoped that the recount of votes would be done in a calm and respectful manner by all, including the Master and Registrar.
Consequences if there are changes
During the question time, the Attorney General answered that each case has its own specificities and the case of the electoral petition in No. 19 is judged according to the facts. When a petition is filed, the case is framed and the responsibility is taken. It is not possible to make allegations in waves,” he added.
As for the speculation about Ivan Collendavelloo, he said: “We will cross the bridge when we reach it. If there is a change after ‘recount’, there will be a lot of consequences.
On the other hand, the Attorney General pointed out that some people, including political leaders, are allegedly defying health protocols and want to make a mess of the Maha Shivaratree festival. We have information and we will take appropriate action,” said Maneesh Gobin, who wished that the year 2022 would be better than the years 2020 and 2021 in terms of the celebration of this religious festival and the harm of the Covid-19 pandemic on the country and the people.
The Attorney General maintained that the population, which is intelligent, will know how to choose between a mixture of political parties that represent political instability and us who represent the future of Mauritians and the country, stability and a government that does not work in its personal interest but for all.
