UDP’s Omar Figueroa Demands Probe into Alleged Voter Fraud in Cayo North

The United Democratic Party’s Standard Bearer for Cayo North, Dr. Omar Figueroa, wrote to the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) on Friday requesting an immediate investigation into alleged voter fraud at the Elections and Boundaries Department’s divisional office. Figueroa wrote to CEO Josephine Tamai over the recent court case in San Ignacio, where over 20 electors were found to have fraudulently registered at an address on Constellation Boulevard in San Ignacio. Figueroa claims the department’s staff facilitated fraudulent registrations at various addresses, including the homes of two employees. He is now calling on Tamai to take immediate action, conduct a thorough investigation, and hold accountable persons involved in the alleged fraud. This afternoon, Dr. Figueroa spoke to our newsroom about the concerns and why he believes the case substantiated his allegations of a well-organized electoral fraud. 

Dr.Omar Figueroa, UDP Standard Bearer, Cayo North: “We have been very consistent in our claims here in Cayo North from well before the municipal elections that we believe there is a well organized system of voter registration fraud. It hasn’t been easy to go to the courts and prove this, because it’s not an easy undertaking to gather all the evidence and to prove it. But we’ve managed, at last we’ve managed and we’ve had a tremendous success, I believe. And so we’ve written to the Chief Elections Officer, paying particular attention to an interview that she did earlier this year, I believe it was on Love FM, where she talked about the possible penalties not only for the chief occupant, but for the electors as well who engage in this type of activity. We found it necessary because even while this court case is continuing, it appears that the election fraud, the registration fraud is continuing. For example in the month of November it appears that more persons have registered at some of these safe houses. And at some point this needs to be brought to an end. And we believe that if the Chief Elections Officer takes her responsibility serious and now armed with the evidence that we’ve provided that was substantiated in court, we believe that she now needs to act on it and it is our hope that by acting on it, it will serve as some kind of deterrence for any future voter registration fraud.”

While Dr. Figueroa says he has an ironclad case, the Elections and Boundaries Department has refuted the allegations. Today, Tamai wrote back to the politician, informing him that the persons not accepted on the list have filed an appeal. She says the department absolutely rejects Figueroa’s assertions and allegations and because of the pending appeal, there is no final determination on the matter. Nonetheless, while Tamai says the department will have to wait for the court’s results, Dr. Figueroa is already looking into other avenues to tackle the alleged fraud.

Dr.Omar Figueroa, UDP Standard Bearer, Cayo North: “We’re also doing something else. We’re reaching out to these international organizations that play a role in monitoring elections on election day, because we believe that it is futile for them to show up on election day when the voters list has been established and come and then say that elections are free and fair. We believe that if they want to do a comprehensive, a thorough job of monitoring what should be free and fair elections, then they need to pay particular attention to the fraud that is taking place right now. And so it is our hope that the Chief Elections Officer will do something about it. But even if somehow there is a refusal, then we are also looking at this other angle where we can hopefully engage the international community as well. And we will do our best to keep pressing and to keep asking the Chief Elections Officer to do what is right. It really devalues the Cayo North vote, right? If you bring in two, 300 persons that do not live in Cayo North, then all those persons who legally and legitimately live in Cayo North have had the value of their vote diminished. And so this is a fight not only for UDP supporters but for all registered voters of Cayo North, all legally registered voters. You know, they need to pay particular attention to this.”

Dr. Figueroa has also requested an official meeting with Tamai to present the evidence he’s collected.