ABLP & UPP prepares for By-election

By Abigayle McIntosh

St Mary’s South Member of Parliamentary Representative Kelvin “Shugy” Simon and ABLP’s Senator Samantha Marshall may at some point face each other at the polls again, this time in a by-election.

This follows a declaration by Prime Minister Gaston Browne over the weekend that a by-election will be called if it is deemed necessary.

Questions were being asked about whether or not a by-election would have been called following the refusal of Speaker of the House Sir Gerald Watt KC to accept Simon’s resignation from the post.

Browne said that this will also depend on the outcome of the court case challenging Simon’s nomination as a candidate.

“The Labour Party is preparing for a by-election assuming that Shugy is correct and the court rules and the by-election are to be held in 120 days. I can assure you the party is preparing.

“I would have said on a previous program that the by-election would not be called within 90 days. We want to allow the court to continue,” Browne said.

The opposition party said it has been in preparation mode since the MP submitted his letter.

The court case to which the Prime Minister made reference was brought by Aaron Simon a member of the St Mary’s South Constituency who is challenging the MP’s eligibility as a candidate.

At the time of Simon’s nomination, he was still employed as a Guidance Counsellor within the Ministry of Sports. He, however, resigned a fourth night before the election.

As it relates to his post as an MP, he resigned weeks ago after indicating that the court case had the potential to be dragged on for months and it was unfair to his constituents.

Sir Gerald, whom the letter was submitted to said it was of no legal effect because it did not conform with certain provisions of the constitution.

Simon has submitted another letter asking the speaker to reconsider his position.