| Nicholson defends election date |
| Observer Reporter Thursday, October 03, 2002 |
THE government yesterday rejected claims that the date set for the next general elections was less than the minimum 16 days required by law after nomination day.
A release issued yesterday by Attorney-General A J Nicholson noted that:
"The Representation of the People Act provides that the date for a general election shall 'not be less than' 16 days after nomination day.
"For the 2002 general election, nomination day is September 30 and October 16 is exactly sixteen days after that date. So that, usage and custom apart, both on common sense and on a strict legal interpretation, October 16 is not less than 16 days after nomination day," the release said.
Nicholson also argued that "for a quarter-of-a-century, between 1976 and 2001, spanning administrations of both the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party, four of six general elections took place exactly sixteen days after nomination day". He provided the following table.