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It really is time to stop the nonsense. I listened to a little bit of the NDP Victory Rally in Layou. I couldn’t stomach more than fifteen minutes of the nonsense. I couldn’t help but ask myself, if I were the leader of the NDP and the elections were truly stolen, what would I have done?
- File election petitions immediately. They waited until the last day of the deadline to file petitions. And that is only after attempting a fishing expedition to see if they could get their hands on the ballots and counterfoils to see if there was anything amiss. Thankfully the court saw through this farce and did not disturb the people’s right to the secrecy of the ballot.
- Within these election petitions I would seek injunctions to prevent the government from being sworn in. If there were any substantial defects in the electoral system, the court will definitely grant the injunctions and hear the petitions speedily.
- I would not swear in as Opposition Leader and I would not have my members of Parliament sworn in. We would all take a principled stance to forego the comfort of a salary for the good of the people and for the prevailing of democracy.
- I would not stand aside and see a few protestors in front of the Electoral Office. There will be a constant and continued protest of the Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament and other such institutions. I would not block roads, but all the persons who support my political party will sick out strategically until this “illegitimate” Prime Minister calls fresh elections or steps aside.
- I would have something more than “we’re entitled to printed voters list like in the past rather than on compact discs” in my electoral petitions. Show us where the ballot boxes were stuffed or tell us which of your agents were bribed by the ULP, how much was paid to them or what was promised to them.
The NDP has done none of this. Do they really believe that the elections were stolen? The country is already so divided along party lines. This constant state of electioneering does not help the state of affairs. The constant denigrating of all bodies with any bearing on the electoral process is not helpful, but hurtful. The attacks against the Court, the Judiciary, the election observers, the Christian council, pastors and leaders, the Supervisor of Elections, P.R. Campbell and many more are unwarranted. It is time we stop the nonsense and move on. Wait for the ruling of the judge on the election petitions, and then move on from there. I pray also that at this time there is some serious introspection, or else in 2020 it will be same ole.
Kezron J.S. Walters
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