Chief Elections Officer Responds to U.D.P. Cayo North Area Rep.

Today, we received a letter addressed to Chief Election Officer Josephine Tamai from Doctor Omar Figueroa, the U.D.P’s Standard Bearer for Cayo North. In the letter, Figueroa urged Tamai to comply with a court ruling to remove over twenty names from the voter’s list, as determined by the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court. Figueroa claims that Minister Michel Chebat’s team has been fraudulently registering voters in Cayo North. News Five reached out to Chebat, who declined to comment, citing that the court’s ruling is currently under appeal in the High Court. He explained that the Election and Boundaries Department cannot act on the ruling until the appeal is resolved. Chebat mentioned he would be willing to speak with the media once the case is concluded.

 

Dr. Omar Figueroa, U.D.P. Standard Bearer, Cayo North

“We believe there are certain elements within the election and boundaries department here that are involved in this scheme, right? And  our concerns have really been disregarded from when we began raising them. And so it, it has become important for us to put it in writing because, yes, the court has ruled, but what will happen now? It appears that these registrations are continuing in the month of November using the same safe houses that have been used. So something has to be done, Marion, or else this thing will never stop. These persons have access to sensitive electoral data. They have access to these binders. I mean, when I go in there, I see it. So something has to be done. It cannot be that these persons would be left there with complete and total access to these original electoral database. I believe that the Election and Boundaries Department, in particular the Chief Elections Officer, now has a responsibility, a duty, and an obligation to follow up on the court ruling.”

 

We also touched base with Chief Elections Officer, Josephine Tamai, who mentioned she couldn’t comment due to the ongoing court case. However, she did share a response to Figueroa, highlighting that the Election and Boundaries Department operates strictly under the Representation of the People’s Act. In her letter, Tamai emphasized that the Act clearly lays out the procedures the department must follow during any objection or appeal process. Tamai also noted that the registering officer has received a notice of appeal to the High Court from twenty-three electors. She pointed out that there’s no final decision yet because of Chebat’s appeal. Additionally, she stated that the Department firmly rejects Figueroa’s claims. Figueroa had accused over a hundred people of being fraudulently registered in the constituency, but the court upheld the registration of most of the individuals he questioned.