The People’s National Party has welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss 2 election petitions filed by Jamaica Labour Party candidates, following their loss in the Local Government Election in February.

The election petitions were filed against PNP Councillors Viviene Brown-Bond and Ralston Wilson, representing the Kintyre and Ginger Ridge Divisions, in St Andrew and St Catherine respectively.

The two JLP candidates Kelvin Clarke and Jeremiah Edwards, were seeking to have the election in the divisions declared void because of alleged irregularities.

Lawyers for Brown-Bond and Wilson who were the respondents applied to have the election petitions struck out on the grounds that they were an abuse of the process of the court.

It was also argued that the petitions were not served on the respondents within the time specified by law and were therefore null and void.

The judge upheld the submissions and struck out the petitions because they did not fulfill the requirements under the Election Petitions Act.

Meantime, Opposition spokesperson on Information and Public Communication, Nekeisha Burchell, noted that the Supreme Court upheld the integrity of the electoral process.

She said the JLP should be more cautious in its approach to the Constitution and the Rule of Law.