Two election petitions came before the Supreme Court on Tuesday but they were put off to January 16 because the respondents' lawyers are claiming that the petitions were not served within the time specified by the Election Petition Act.

One of the petitions was filed by People's National Party (PNP) candidate Richard Azan against Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Member of Parliament Michael Stern. Azan is contending that Stern has dual citizenship and is also alleging irregularities which took place in the constituency on election day.

The other was filed by the PNP's Horace Dalley against the JLP's Laurie Broderick. Dalley is contending that persons who were duly enumerated were not allowed to vote because their names were not on the voters list.

Attorneys-at-law Julianne Mais-Cox and Cindy Lightbourne, instructed by the law firm DunnCox, are representing the respondents. The lawyers are seeking to have the petitions struck out on the grounds that they were not served in the prescribed time.