Boots Asks, “What’s the Hold Up With Referendum Petitions?”

According to Martinez, he attempted to get an update on the status of the petitions through the vice chairman of the United Democratic Party who sits on the Elections and Boundaries Commission.

 

Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez, Former Area Rep, Port Loyola

“Through the representative of the UDP on the commission, Mr. Alberto August, he tried to intervene and being on the commission, to ask the commission and the Chief Elections Officer about the petition.  And, rightfully so, she said she had no comment on the petition but referred the answers about the petition back to the governor general which, in my view, by law the governor general, now I don‘t know why or what is causing the stalling.  I don‘t know if the Chief Elections Officer has gotten the petition.  I don‘t know what is the situation but I noh di get no answer and at least you should get answers from the head of the stream, as the law allows for the timeframe.  And so, I don‘t know the interpretation or the meaning of the word, in terms of the governor general, forthwith and I don‘t know what it means when you say you could be less than a month but not more than a month fi verify the signature.  I don‘t know where the bottleneck is and it raises concerns, especially to the people of Port Loyola.  We have checked around and spoke with Senior Counsel Dean Barrow to see the challenge that exists.  One thing I want to make clear, you know, is that I, in dealing with this petition, I was very wary and careful of all the steps I was following in the law because like what I said to the governor general when I delivered the petition on the sixteenth of January.  There is an old saying that was said to me by my old boss, Mr. Barrow, ’Have trust in God, but still tie your camel.”  And that is what, to me, that old phrase comes to roost today.”