Court case puts Jamaica on the verge of elections
February 27, 2009
WHEN THE clock strikes 9:30 this morning, Daryl Vaz and Abe Dabdoub should already be huddled in a downtown Kingston courtroom, awaiting a decision from the Court of Appeal.
The fight for the right to represent West Portland intensifies.
Vaz was elected member of parliament on election night, September 3, 2007, but was ousted after lawyers representing Dabdoub convinced Chief Justice Zaila McCalla that he was not qualified to be elected.
McCalla had ordered a by-election and Vaz has spared few campaigning stops in his attempts to remain in the eastern parish.
Attempted to reconnect
Dabdoub, on the other hand, has attempted to reconnect in recent days with People's National Party (PNP) supporters on the ground, but would also be disappointed if McCalla's order of a by-election was upheld.
Gleaner sources have confirmed that Vaz has lost his appeal to have McCalla's ruling overturned.
The panel of Court of Appeal judges, comprising Justices Seymour Panton, Algernon Smith and Karl Harrison, will be delivering one of two rulings today: Either that a by-election takes place or that the seat is handed directly to Dabdoub.
Even before the September 2007 general election, Dabdoub had circulated notices in West Portland informing constituents they would waste their votes if they voted for Vaz.
Under the Constitution, no person, who, by his own act, pledges allegiance/obedience to a foreign power is qualified to sit in the House of Representatives or the Senate....
Author: Daraine Luton
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
