Constituency - No. 1 : several voters unable to cast their votes

Voting exercise started pretty early in Constituency No. 1, which covers mainly the regions of Grand River North West, Pointe aux Sables, La Tour Koenig, Pailles and Vallijee. Several voters said they preferred to fulfil their civic duties in the early morning before the rush in the afternoon. Being a public holiday, the voting day was also an opportunity for several families to enjoy a day at the seaside among relatives and friends. “We went early because we planned a day at a public beach in the North,” said a voter.

Otherwise, it was around 10:00 a.m. that the candidates of the major political parties toured the Constituency. Dr Dorine Chukowry, Nilen Vencadasmy and Clive Auffray from L’Alliance Morisien alternately visited the 14 voting centres. They said they were satisfied with the way the voting day was going on. However, MMM candidate Veda Baloomoody expressed his dismay in a statement to News on Sunday, following numerous cases of people not being able to vote because they were not registered. Baloomoody says this is extremely serious and an attempt to deprive a citizen of his right to vote. The same issue was raised by L’Alliance Nationale candidate Fabrice David. Both Baloomoody and David said their parties will discuss this issue and take it up with the Electoral Commissioner.

Let us recall that Patrice Armance & Jean Claude Barbier (L’Alliance Nationale) and Giovanni Catherine & Arianne Navarre Marie (MMM) were also candidates for Constituency No. 1. 39 candidates were registered in total.