PNP’s Buchanan files application to void St Andrew West Central poll over ‘irregularities’
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Paul Buchanan, the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for St Andrew West Central, has submitted an application to void the results of the September 3 general election in the constituency, citing irregularities.
Buchanan filed the application on Wednesday with the Constituted Authority. The Constituted Authority now has two weeks to decide whether to send a petition to the Election Court.
In a release on Thursday, Buchanan cited what he said was violence and intimidation in the Olympic Gardens and Molynes Gardens Divisions; invasion by Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) operatives of the polling station cluster at Seaward Primary School and irregular transportation of 18 ballot boxes from that cluster to the counting centre resulting in their arrival at 10:00 pm; voter suppression in the Molynes Gardens Division; and the malfunctioning of the electronic voter identification system which caused electors to be turned away from polling stations.
The newly sworn-in Prime Minister, Dr Andrew Holness, the JLP leader, was declared victorious in the polls for the St Andrew West Central constituency, amassing 7,054 votes while Buchanan secured 4,953 votes.
Since the conclusion of the general election, the PNP has made several allegations of irregularities across varying constituencies. PNP President Mark Golding had, however, noted that after careful review, the party would not be pursuing a magisterial recount for any of the constituencies, but said it was considering legal action for the St Andrew West Central seat.
READ: PNP considers action to address ‘irregularities’ in PM’s constituency
The EOJ had addressed initial reports of irregularities during the general election, particularly dismissing claims of missing and uncounted ballot boxes as well as reports of spoiled ballots in one constituency.
