Dual-citizenship case ruling within days
February 08, 2009
AS ANTICIPATION mounts about the court's ruling on the appeal in the dual-citizenship case which People's National Party (PNP) candidate Abe Dabdoub has brought against Member of Parliament (MP) Daryl Vaz, The Sunday Gleaner has learnt that a ruling will be handed down within days.
President of the Court of Appeal Justice Seymour Panton, Justice Algernon Smith and Justice Karl Harrison heard the appeal and indications are that the judgement is to be delivered shortly.
Following lengthy submissions last year, the court reserved its decision on December 3.
Since then, political watchers have waited patiently for the decision, which could greatly affect the country's political scene.
Second petition
This is the second time that Dabdoub has brought an election petition in the courts. He was successful in an election petition he filed against Phyllis Mitchell alleging irregularities in the North East St Catherine constituency in the general election of 1997.
At that time, Dabdoub contested the election on a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) ticket and was awarded the seat in June 2001.
Now, he is again trying to enter Parliament through the court, but this time on a PNP ticket.
Dabdoub has expressed optimism that, based on the law and the cases cited to support his contention, he will be victorious.
But Prime Minister Bruce Golding has made it clear that he will not allow anyone who was rejected by the people at the polls to sit in Parliament....
Author: Barbara Gayle
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
