UDP Factions to Share Color Red in Upcoming General Elections

The Election and Boundaries Commission has weighed in on its decision to have the three factions within the United Democratic Party use the color red in the general elections. This week, the commission announced that all 41 candidates running under the UDP banner will be assigned the color red on the election ballots. The decision considered that the High Court would not render a decision over the leadership battle in the UDP until after March 31 after the general elections. The decision also looked at the fact that both factions did not indicate whether they would be seeking to have symbols on the ballots for differentiation. This morning, sample ballots from constituencies where there are multiple UDP candidates began circulating, showing multiple candidates with the color red beside their names. Today, Chair of the commission, Oscar Sabido Puga explained that the group took it to a vote and decided to let both factions use the traditional red since none of them had provided a symbol they wanted to use.

Oscar Sabido Puga, Chairman, Elections and Boundaries Commission: “Yes, the process is one where we took a preliminary vote on seven options and the vote by majority was that we were going to implement the part of the regulations that speaks about joining both the color and the symbol for the purposes of differentiation between the two parties. But at the end of the day, we must come to a final conclusion on the matter based on the returns that come in on nomination you have the nomination forms that you have filled out. Then when we review that, then we have a final determination which we had in our meeting today is what, today is Thursday? I think it was Tuesday. We had a final determination and another vote. And at that time, because of the fact that the two particular parties involved, if you want to call them parties, did not offer symbols notwithstanding the fact that we had indicated that the symbol is necessary for the differentiation. They chose to come under the UDP party for the nomination application and chose not to use the symbol. So since the previous determination by the commission by vote was well you use the UDP traditional color, red, and the symbol then it was their choice to abandon the symbol. So we didn’t have any problem then to apply the color and since they had applied under the UDP on the form then clearly it was one party that we’re dealing with. So we applied the red, by vote that is of the commission majority vote, to all the 41 candidates.”
 

Puga said that the commission had the legal jurisdiction to assign a symbol to differentiate the factions but chose not to keep from forcing a symbol on one of the groups. 

Oscar Sabido Puga, Chairman, Elections and Boundaries Commission: “That was a problem we were having because there was this what you would call, very severe antagonism by one side against the other. And the suggestions were being made at all times that they should get together and in a sense agree on how they can differentiate. And that is why the issue of the symbol came up. But at the end of the day they did not bring up the symbols when the applications were made. They did not provide a symbol because it is on nomination day that the color is allocated in a sense for the allocation you have to present your color, you have to present your symbol which was asked of them and they did not. So they insisted on one retaining the color for themselves to the exclusion of the other and vice versa, this one retaining it to the exclusion and they wouldn’t budge. There was no way they would budge. The commission made the decision that the best way to do it since the applications were all by UDPs on the form that there was no other way and the commission made the decision that, well, the red will be retained as previously indicated, but the submissions were not made as to the symbols so it remained red.”

Reporter: Legally, did the commission have the jurisdiction to assign such symbol? 

Oscar Sabido Puga, Chairman, Elections and Boundaries Commission: “Yes, yes, yes. We could have done it with symbols and colors. We had legal precedent for that. That was clearly established. But in order to, in effect, not force it upon them because we would have had to force the symbol on them because they were not providing the symbol on nomination day, we had to proceed on that basis.”

When asked whether or not leaving both factions as they were would cause voter confusion, Puga said it would be up to the respective factions to properly prepare their supporters for election day.