DeFreitas says Thomas’ lawsuit against the SoE will finally prove or disprove suspicions of electoral fraud

The court case filed by Alister Thomas against the Antigua and
Barbuda Electoral Commission (ABEC) and the supervisor of
elections will show whether electoral fraud has been taking place,
says Franz deFreitas.

Over a number of years many people have suspected and alleged
that that some level of fraud has been carried out with the
knowledge of the election authorities.

Those concerns were fuelled by the close outcome of the January 18
General Election, after which the supervisor refused to release a
copy of the pictorial voters list to Thomas.

Thomas, the United Progressive Party (UPP) caretaker for St. John’s
City West, had applied for a copy under the Freedom of Information
Act. 

He expects to have his day in court in January 2024 at which time
the Court should determine whether the list is a public document –
since ABEC claims it is not.
 
DeFreitas, the UPP caretaker for St. John’s City South, has often
expressed the belief that the Commission has been turning its back
on the issue of fraud during elections. 
 
Hence, he looks forward to the court case that should confirm his
suspicions or prove them wrong.
 
According to deFreitas, the court judgment will have far-reaching
implications for other candidates who may wish to challenge the
veracity of the picture list when compared to the actual Register for
Elections.
 
DeFreitas says that he and the Party share the opinion that the list
detailing the images of those eligible to vote is public information.
 
Therefore, the City South caretaker is congratulating his colleague
for taking this bold step to seek justice.