Guild election results unchanged

THE UWI Guild election results are official. President Fallon Lutchmansingh and her team maintained their victory after Sunday’s recount. However, several losing candidates and students on the St Augustine campus are refusing to accept the results, insisting they were flawed and are demanding a re-election. Their demands could result in more tension on the campus, as they explore whether they will embark on a legal challenge or take protest action. Returning officer, Anthony Jackman, confirmed yesterday that Sunday’s recount did not change the results of two weeks ago. He said the results were now official, having also been audited by the auditing firm KPMG. Jackman said all that was left to be done is the handing over of office.

The handing over was postponed last Friday, after Jackman decided to have the recount based on “questions, queries and challenges, and not withstanding the wide gaps between the winners and losers.” Asked about allegations that several candidates were debarred as observers in the recount, Jackman insisted they were all invited to attend. However, some losing candidates, including Ravi Ratiram and Vijay Bhagwat, who contested the presidential post, yesterday sought a meeting with campus principal Dr Bhoe Tewarie to voice their concerns. Tewarie was said to be in meetings all day. The students were reportedly told that he would accept the audited results, but they were adamant that those results “were doctored and the discrepancies already influenced the final results, which no audit can change.”

While waiting to speak to Tewarie between meetings, the students were examining their options. These included shutting down the campus, even though exams began yesterday, or legally challenging the results. The students eventually met briefly with Vice Chancellor Nigel Harris as he was leaving the principal’s office, and he reportedly assured them that he would look into the matter. Incumbent president of the guild of students Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh, who has been called on to intervene, told Newsday he had advised the students to meet the campus administration on the issue, bearing in mind that the April 14 guild election was one of “consensus” with the administration.

He reminded Newsday that the originally scheduled Guild election was carded for March 22. At a press conference yesterday at the Guild’s office, members of the incumbent executive agreed the election process was tarnished by issues such as the extension of the voting time to 8.18 instead of 8 pm; that Jackman was not appointed by the Guild as returning officer, that ballot boxes were not secured properly and were handled by students, compromising the integrity of the election, as well as the readily available ballot papers which could not be differentiated from genuine papers.

Barry Padarath, chairperson of the international affairs committee, who lost in the race to become treasurer, said objections were raised about Jackman prior to the election, and dismissed suggestions that the complaints were a case of “sour grapes.” He said there was also a petition with some 2,000 signatures calling for a re-election. As for Calixte George, elected secretary speaking on behalf of the winning slate, “there is no sound basis for new elections and students should desist from destablising what is cast in concrete.” He said he believed the election as “free and fair” and also agreed that there should be electoral reform to allow for more transparency in future elections. Tewarie was unavailable for comment.