Judges Aruna Devi Narain and Denis Mootoo have ordered a recount of the votes cast for Jenny Adebiro and Ivan Collendavelloo in No 19 in the last election. The outcome is not a surprise, especially since the Election Commissioner had indicated at the last hearing that he no longer objected to a recount.
The judges left it to the Acting Master and Registrar, Wendy Rangan, to determine the terms of the recount. The judges cautioned the Returning Officer of the Electoral Commission on their duty of care during the recount.
For Mr Gavin Glover, Jenny Adebiro’s lawyer, this is an important ruling. “It sets out what can be done if information comes to light after the 21-day deadline for lodging an election petition. It will have implications on the other petitions,” he said. Jenny Adebiro said it was another positive step.
The Muvman Liberater leader was tight-lipped when he left court. He said that we must now wait for the recount. He added that he hoped the Electoral Commissioner and the Returning Officer had taken note of the judges’ remarks and would act accordingly.
