The judgement on the two election petitions brought by New Democratic Party (NDP) candidates Lauron Baptiste and Benjamin Exeter following the December 9, 2015, elections will be delivered by the end of March.
Trial Judge Justice Stanley John of Trinidad made the announcement Tuesday afternoon as the oral evidence phase of the trial ended.
Baptiste and Exeter filed the petitions on December 31st, 2015, claiming election irregularities in the constituencies of North Windward and Central Leeward, respectively.
The two candidates refused to accept the election results, claiming irregularities in their respective constituencies.
In North Windward, Baptiste’s opponent, the incumbent Unity Labour Party (ULP) candidate Montgomery Daniel, was re-elected and in Central Leeward the incumbent Sir Louis Straker was re-elected.
Baptiste and Exeter are seeking to have the court declare the two seats void.
Oral testimony in the trial began last week Monday and ended Tuesday afternoon.
The lawyers will be presenting written submissions to the court. In the first week of March, the lawyers will make oral submissions and then it will be up to the judge to look at the evidence presented to the court and the various arguments and apply the relevant laws in making his decision.
