Spoilt ballots and road repairs
published: Saturday | July 19, 2003
THE EDITOR, Sir:
I WOULD like you to air these two issues for me:
1. Spoilt ballots
A spoilt ballot is one that was given to an elector, and on return from the poll booth, the elector say the ballot is spoilt. The Presiding Officer then punctures the ballot, places it in the envelope marked "Spoilt Ballots" and gives the elector a new ballot. A spoilt ballot is not found in the box, and I do not see how or in what way should a spoilt ballot be counted. That elector then would have voted twice, since he was given a new ballot. I would really like to know why the E.O.J. has not come out to clarify this issue. I have seen where there was a controversy over counting or not counting of spoilt ballots. Why can't we do anything right?
2. I live in Shaw Park Housing Scheme near Ocho Rios. Recently I noticed that the main road from Milford through Parry Town is being upgraded. This is a hill road. The tank which serves my community overflows very regularly and this water comes down, makes two large lakes at the entrance and the overflow from these lakes goes down to wash the road below. These contractors or shoemakers as they seem to be, continue to marl and press and oil the road making it ready for asphalt without making any allowance for the water which runs there every day. I am thinking that they could even concrete the path for the water so that the road could last a little longer, but I guess in these days it's just "collect", slap dash and gone.
In this same stretch of road there are always three burst in the NWC's pipes. These are old cast iron pipes that needs to be removed and still the road is being worked on without any regard for these deficiencies. Tired of this callousness and scant regard for the taxpayers of the country.
