j\
personation
-
o f e l e c t o r s and t a m p e r i n g w i t h b a l l o t b o x e s .
he m a j o r i r r e g u l a r i t i e s u n d e r t h i s g r o u n d i n c l u c l c , u n c o n t r o l -
l e d and i m p r o p e r v o t i n g ,
l a t e hour v o t i n g , open v o t i n g , t h r e a t e n i n g
o f p r e s i d i n g o f f i c e r , v o t i n g by p e r s o n s n o t b o n a f i d e e l e c t o r s ,
accompanying of b a l l o t box by u n a u t h o r i s e d p e r s o n s ,
interference
with e l e c t o r a l m a t e r i a l , improper c l o s u r e of p o l l i n g d i v i s i o n ,
.L
u n a u t h o r i s e d p e r s o n s c o m p l e t i n g p o l l book, d e t o u r i n r e t u r n i n g
C
b a l l o t box and crowded p o l l i n g s t a t i o n s .
-
These i r r e g u l a r i t i e s r e l a t e t o a l l t h e r e l e v a n t p o l l i n g
d i v i s i o n s a n d r e p r e s e n t numerous b r e a c h e s o f t h e ~ e p r e s e n t a t i o no f
t h e People A c t .
On a n e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h e e v i d e n c e I f i n d t h a t a l l t h e i r r e g u l a r i t i e s referred t o f o r voiding o f the P o l l i n t h e Polling Divisions
when t a k e n c u m u l a t i v e l y h a v e s u b s t a n t i a t e d t h i s g r o u n d .
A l l these
irregularities constitute a substantial distortion o r subversion of
o f t h e p r o c e s s o f f r e e and f a i r e l e c t i o n i n t h e c o n s t i t u e n c y a s a
whole.
This c o n c l u s i o n i s i n e s c a p a b l e i n l i g h t o f t h e overwhelming
u n c o n t r o v e r t e d evidence adduced i n t h i s C o u r t .
I am f o r t i f i e d i n
t h i s v i e w i n l i g h t o f t h e judgment i n Re T a r j o n P u t e r i J a h o v a S t a t e
E l e c t i o n p e t i t i o n ; Abdul Razak B i n Ahmad v . D a t u k MD Yunos B i n S u l a i m
&
A n o t h e r ( 1 9 8 8 ) MLJ L e x i s 111 a t p.32.
A t an e l e c t i o n h e l d i n a
c e r t a i n c o n s t i t u e n c y t h e f i r s t R e s p o n d e n t emerged a s t h e w i n n i n g
.
candidate.
f-,
L
The P e t i t i o n e r who s t o o d a s a c a n d i d a t e i n t h a t c o n s t i -
t u e n c y p o l l e d less v o t e s .
H e took o u t t h e present p e t i t i o n claim-
-\
i n t t h a t t h e e l e c t i o h was n o t p r o p e r l y c o n d u c t e d a n d t h a t t h e
e l e c t i o n should be d e c l a r e d void.
I t was h e l d by t h e C o u r t i n t e r
a l i a t h a t t h e numerous e r r o r s , m i s t a k e s o r i r r e g u l a r i t i e s a n d t h e
u n f o r s e e n and i m p r o p e r movement o f t h e b a l l o t b o x e s , when c o n s i d e r e d