20 prior to the scheduled October 10, 2017 Elections or, stated in the alternative, by resigning from the position of Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority on March 9, 2017, barely six (6) days after the Code was declared by the Supreme Court as law of the land, constituted an egregious violation of the Code as to warrant the imposition of the penalty of disqualification from seeking elective public office in the ensuing October 10, 2017 Elections. We hold that under the criteria elaborated upon by this Court in the Polson case, the violation was not of an egregious nature and hence did not warrant disbarment from contesting the position of the vice presidency in the ensuing 2017 Elections, and that a lesser penalty stipulated in the Code should have been imposed by the Respondent National Elections Commission. Our conclusion is predicated upon a number of factors, including the sequence of events shown in the records certified to this Court, and which we state herein below. The records show that on July 6, 2017, Co-appellant Harrison S. Karnwea, Sr. along with Co-appellant Liberty Party, filed with the National Elections Commission an Application seeking approval and certification by the Commission to allow Co-appellant Karnwea to contest the 2017 Elections as a vice presidential candidate to Charles Walker Brumskine on the ticket of the Liberty Party. The Application was accompanied by a Letter of Intent, a Candidate Nomination Printout, Candidate Endorsement Form, a Nomination Application Checklist wherein answers were provided to a number of questions contained therein, a Declaration of Aspirant to Abide by the Political Parties Code of Conduct document signed by the Aspirant, and An Aspirant Questionnaire to Establish Residency, Domicile and Compliance with Code of Conduct for Public Officials, amongst others. On the latter Form, Coappellant Karnwea was asked if he had held any appointed government position, to which he answered in the affirmative. He was also asked on the form for the position he had held and the period of his service at the institution. To this question he answered that he served as Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority for the period September 7, 2012 to March 9, 2017. He gave as the reason for his resignation from the said position that he was returning to the private sector to manage his rubber farm.

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