By Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News |
The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Party has issued a 48-hour ultimatum, threatening legal action if no additional rounds of voting are conducted to determine the Region 10 Chairmanship. The party is challenging what it deems an unlawful move by the Minister of Local Government to intervene in the process.
According to legal correspondence obtained by HGPTV Nightly News, WIN councillors have formally written to Dwight John, Clerk of Council at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), warning of impending court proceedings.
The dispute stems from the recent election for Regional Chairman, where WIN’s candidate, Mark Goring, and APNU’s Dominique Blair each received nine votes, resulting in a 9–9 tie after the first round. Following the tie, the Clerk reportedly suspended the proceedings, indicating that the Minister of Local Government would exercise a casting vote to break the deadlock.
The WIN Party, however, contends that this decision is illegal and unconstitutional.
In a strongly worded letter, WIN’s legal representatives stated:
“Your suspension of the election process of the RDC Chairman and your intention to seek the Minister’s deliberation, pronouncement, and casting vote is ultra vires, contrary to statute, arbitrary, unreasonable, and otherwise illegal. There is no longer any power held by the Minister to unilaterally determine and impose the Chairmanship of any Regional Democratic Council.”
The correspondence further cites sub-sections 20(6)(a) through (h) of the Local Democratic Organs Act, Cap. 28:09, which outlines that in the event of a tie, the election process must continue through a second and, if necessary, a third round of voting.
The WIN Party is calling for the immediate continuation of the electoral process without ministerial involvement and has signaled its readiness to take the matter to court should the Clerk fail to act within the stipulated timeframe.
