BARBADOS | Philip Catlyn files injunction to stop B'dos General Elections on Wednesday

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados January 18, 2020 An injunction has been filed in the  High Court aimed at  stopping Wednesday’s general election, in an action brought by Philip Catlyn of the Barbados Sovereignty Party, against President Dame Sandra Mason and Attorney General Dale Marshall.

Catlyn claims that the exclusion of more than 5 000 COVID-19 positive citizens from the election, breaches Section 6 of the Representation of the People Act, which enshrines the right of eligible residents and citizens to vote.

Barbados Today quotes Catlyn as saying “It’s about the rights of the people of Barbados. I feel that as a citizen I have a right to be informed not only informed but to be asked a question, what is my interest?” 

Catlyn contended that “The people that serve me are elected people that we gave our proxy to to do our bidding and we have now got a republic that we had no input into, we have a president that we had no input into, we have an election that was sprung upon us after going through COVID for two years…worse we are told you have 22 days to do this.”

Human rights attorney Lalu Hanuman who is representing Catlyn, insists the right to vote is a fundamental human right and therefore the case has merit.

The report quotes Hanuman as making a case for voting as a fundamental right. “It is enshrined in international convention…. We have been struggling since the days of slavery, this is why we transition to a republic and one of the most fundamental parts of the process is being able to have a government of your choice and the only way you can have a government of your choice is to have the right to vote. I have no issues with Prime Minister Mia Mottley.”

However, Mottley in a speech last night rubbished the injunction filing, pointing out that Caribbean case law makes it clear that once the election writ has been promulgated the court has no powers to stop the elections. 

She also made it clear that the matter was not in the purview of the Prime Minister and rests squarely with the Electoral and Boundaries Commission.