Manning served petition papers

December 30, 2000

THE election petition filed against the nomination of Opposition Leader Patrick Manning was served on him yesterday.

Justice Amrika Tiwary granted leave on Christmas Day for the petition against Manning to be filed on behalf of Paul Phagoo.

Leave was also granted for Princess Smart to file a similar petition against Laventille West MP Eulalie James. Up to late yesterday, however, James had not been served with the petition.

Phagoo and Smart are challenging the validity of declarations made by Manning (San Fernando East) and James.

It will be argued that Manning and James wrongly described themselves as MPs on their nomination forms prior to the December 11 general election. The UNC is arguing that since Parliament was dissolved on November 3, they were not members of Parliament.

The move comes in response to the PNM’s decision to challenge the nominations of UNC candidates Winston “Gypsy’’ Peters (Ortoire/Mayaro) and Bill Chaitan (Pointe-a-Pierre) by way of election petition. Leave was granted to the PNM on December 20 to file those petitions.

The PNM will argue that Gypsy and Chaitan wrongly stated on their nomination papers that they were nationals of Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinicenter

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