C
c a t i o n s e s t a b l i s h e s a w h o l l y new, d i s t i n c t , s p e c i a l and s u i g e n c r i s
s y s t e m which i s w h o l l y s e l f - c o n t a i n e d and w h o l l y d i f f e r e n t from
t h e e x i s t i n g p r o c e d u r e s i n e l e c t i o n p e t i t i o n s s e t o u t i n t h e same Act.
The new r e g i m e d o e s n o t h a v e any r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r payment
o f c o s t s and t h e C o n s t i t u t e d A u t h o r i t y i s n o t r e q u i r e d t o g i v e
security for costs.
F u r t h e r S e c t i o n 52A(6) o f t h e R e p r e s e n t a t i o n
o f t h e P e z p l e (Zlmentment)Act 1997 p r o v i d e s t h a t a s r e q u e s t by a
c a n d i d a t e r e l a t i n g t o t h e v o i d i n g o f a p o l l s h a l l be w i t h o u t p r e j u -
,-
C
d i c e t o any r i g h t e n j o y e d by t h a t c a n d i d a t e unde;
Section 3 ( b ) of
t hich p r o v i d e s t h a t a n E l e c t i o n P e t i t i o n
the Election ~ e t i t i o n s A c w
may b e p r e s e n t e d t o t h e Supreme C o u r t bl. t h e A t t o r n e y G e n c r a l o r b y
any o t h e r p e r s o n .
Under t h e new p r o c e d u r e i t i s o n l y t h e C o n s t i t u t e d
A u t h o r i t y which c a n make a n a p p l i c a t i o n t o t h e E l e c t i o n C o u r t .
I n my judgment t h e p r e l i m i n a r y o b j e c t i o n was m i s c o n c e i v e d
and s h o u l d b e o v e r r u l e d .
,-\
1
\-
The g r o u n d s upon which t h e r e l i e f i s s o u g h t a r e a s f o l l o w s :
(1)
T h a t b a l l o t b o x e s were s t o l e n a n d / o r destroyed a n d / o r
t a m p e r e d w i t h and t h e number o f e l e c t o r s on t h e l i s t
of e l e c t o r s f o r t h e p o l l i n g s t a t i o n s i n p o l l i n g
d i v i s i o n s 4 9 , 6 4 , 7 1 and 7 2 i s more t h a n t h e d i f f e r e n c e
i n t h e number of v o t e s c a s t f o r t h e c a n d i d a t e d e c l a r e d
t h e w i n n e r and t h e c a n d i d a t e s who w e r e n o t d e c l a r e d
t h e winner.
,-
C
(2)
T h a t v o t e s were p o l l e d by p e r s o n s who w e r e n o t b o n a f i d e
e l e c t o r s t h e r e b y c a s t i n g d o u b t on t h e i n t e g r i t y o f t h e
v o t e s counted f o r t h e candidate d e c l a r e d e l e c t e d .