Candidates have only one day for nomination

(CNS): The only day when eligible people may be nominated to stand in the forthcoming General Elections 2009, Nomination Day, is one the most important dates in the election campaign calendar. Kearney Gomez, the elections supervisor, said this year this key day falls on Wednesday, 25 March, the day after parliament is officially dissolved. In each of the  six electoral districts would-be candidates may be nominated for the district’s seat or seats in the Legislative Assembly in the General Elections set for 20 May.

Gomez explained that no one is a candidate under the law until he or she is nominated, and those who have already declared their intention or who are contemplating standing for election should familiarise themselves with sections 18 and 19 of the Constitution. These sections set out the qualifications and disqualifications for election, he said, adding that potential candidates may want to seek legal advice if they have any doubts as to whether they meet the requirements.

“Persons who nominate candidates have obligations under the Elections Law,” Gomez pointed out. “A nominator must be a registered voter in the district for which he or she is nominating a candidate. Further, the nominator must know that the person nominated is qualified to be elected.”

He added that anyone who nominates a candidate and is not registered in that district or who knows that the candidate is not qualified is guilty of an offence. The penalty on conviction is a fine of $2,000.

Nominations can take place between 8:00 am and  3:00 pm  at the following venues:

West Bay: John Gray Memorial Church, 26 West Church Street.

George Town: Church of God Chapel (Family Life Centre) 48B Academy Way (off Walkers Road).

Bodden Town: James M. Bodden Civic Centre, 445C Bodden Town Road.

North Side: Craddock Ebanks Civic Centre, 923 North Side Road.

East End: William Allen McLaughlin Civic Centre, 80 John McLean Drive.

Cayman Brac & Little Cayman: District Administration Building (2nd Floor Conference Room) 19 Kirkconnell Street.

District Returning Officers will receive nominations between 8am and 3pm.

Nomination forms may be collected any weekday between the hours of 8:30 am and 6 pm from the Elections Office on the fourth floor of Kirk Building, Albert Panton Street, George Town or the new Elections Office in the Smith Road Professional Centre, 150 Smith Road, 2nd floor.

Following nomination day the revising officer will begin settling the list of electors for each disrict at the court hosue in George Town for the four districts with objections on Grand Cayman and at the district adminstraiotn buildingon Cayman Brac.