Election : How The Candidates Fared

MONDAY’S general elections registered a lower voter turn-out to that of 2011 except for one constituency, Micoud South where the turn-out was higher.

Here’s how it went down last Monday:

Gros Islet with 20,593 electors saw only 11,216 of them casting their ballots on Monday, meaning a 54.47% voter turn-out compared to a 58.90% voter turn-out in 2011. Lenard Montoute (UWP) emerged winner on Monday with 6,344 votes. Emma Hippolyte (SLP) received 4,552 votes while Therold Prudent (LPM) coming away with 152 votes. Votes rejected were 168.

In the Babonneau constituency where 6,536 votes were cast out of 11,246 electors, there was no mistaking the thrashing Ezechiel Joseph (UWP) with 3,788 votes gave to Alvina Reynolds (SLP) with 2,483 votes. Voter turn-out was 58.12% compared to 60.24% in 2011. Votes rejected were 265.

Stephenson King (UWP) with 3,774 votes heavy-rolled his way over John Charlery (SLP) who could only muster 1,482 votes. This Castries North constituency has been loyal to King over the years. There was a 45.60% voter turn-out, a marked decrease from that of 2011 which was 51.22%.

In Castries East the situation was different. Newcomer, Fortuna Belrose (UWP) gave a good account of herself by amassing a total of 2,565 votes. But this was not enough to unseat Phillip J. Pierre (SLP) with 2,901 votes. Votes cast were 5,566 out of 12,298 electors, a 45.26% voter turn-out compared to 48.96% in 2011. One hundred votes were rejected.

The three cornered challenge in Castries Central was won by Sarah Flood – Beaubrun (UWP) with 2,249 votes. Her rivals were Stanley Felix (SLP) with 1,870 votes and Timothy Brian James (Ind) with 12 votes. Votes cast were 4,171 out of 9,359 total electors. Voter turn-out was 44.57% slightly lower to that of 2011 which had a voter turn-out of 47.59%. Forty votes were rejected.

A remarkable showing by Mary Isaac (UWP) in Castries South, did not push her over the finish line. However, her 2,172 votes to Ernest Hilaire’s (SLP) 2,215 registered her as a strong challenger. Eighty votes were rejected out of the 4,467 votes cast. That constituency had 8,858 electors. A 50.43% voter turn-out was registered compared to that of 2011 of 53.29%.

A win by Dominic Fedee (UWP) with 2,472 votes over John Victorin (SLP) with 2,087 stunned the Anse-la-Raye/Canaries constituency. Voter turn-out there was 60.59% just below the 2011 mark of 61.64%. There were 310 rejected votes out of the 4,869 cast from the 8,036 pool of voters in that constituency.

A surprise loss was registered by Harold Dalsan (SLP) who amassed 2,104 votes to Herold Stanislas (UWP) 2,564 votes. Simon Gajadhar (LPM) received just three votes. Votes rejected were 113 out of the 4,784 that were cast. There were 7,854 registered electors in that constituency. The voter turn-out was 60.91% compared to 61.87% 2011.

Another surprise loss was registered in the Choiseul constituency where Lorne Theophilus (SLP) with 2,148 votes went down to Bradley Felix (UWP) with 2973 votes. That was a preliminary count because 24 of the 25 ballot boxes were counted at the time. So far, out of the 8,864 electors in that constituency only 5,304 votes were cast, a 59.84% voter turn-out way below that of 2011 which registered a voter turn-out of 67.40%. There were 183 rejected ballots.

Laborie was an expected win for Alva Baptiste (SLP) who secured 2,094 votes to Francisco Jn. Pierre’s (UWP) 1,468 votes. Forty-two votes were rejected out of the 3,604 cast from the 6,504 electors in that constituency. The voter turn-out was 55.41% compared to that of 2011 with 59.91%.

Kenny Anthony (SLP) was also an expected winner but not by the low margin recorded. He received 2,439 votes to the UWP’s Ulric Mondesir 2,199 votes. There were 106 rejected ballots out of the 4,744 that were cast. That constituency had 8,693 electors a 54.57$ voter turn-out. The voter turn-out for that constituency in 2011 was 56.44%.

Vieux-Fort North was an expected win for the SLP. Moses Jn. Baptiste mustered 1,743 votes. Prince Ambrose (UWP) gave a good showing by amassing 1,275 votes. Fifty-three votes were rejected from 3,071 cast. That constituency had 6,574 electors. It registered a 46.71 voter turn-out compare that to the voter turn-out of 2011 which was 56.80%.

Allen Chastanet (UWP) thoroughly trounced the SLP’s “secret weapon”, Guibion Ferdinand by just over 1000 votes in the Micoud South constituency. It was almost a no contest as Chastanet amassed 2,495 votes to Ferdinand’s 1,446 votes. There were 135 rejected votes out of the 4,076 that were cast. There were 6,994 electors in that constituency, a 58.28 voter turn-out, the only constituency with a higher voter turn-out this year compared to 2011 which had a voter turn-out of 53.70%.

Micoud North had the most candidates contesting this year’s election. The four candidates were all squashed by Gayle Rigobert (UWP) who collected 1,930 votes of the 3,733 that were cast. Jeanine Compton-Antoine, an Independent, received 787 votes while Herbert Roserie (SLP) amassed 885 votes. The other candidate, Mac Donald Alexander received four votes. A total of 7,430 electors were registered in that constituency. The voter turn-out was 50.24%, a lower figure to that of 2011 which registered a 55.87% voter turn-out. Votes rejected were 127.

A spirited challenge by newcomer Gedeon Jerome (SLP) almost saw him toppling Edmund Estephane (UWP) the champion of the Dennery South constituency for several years. However Jerome’s 1,283 votes were not enough to remove Estephane who received 1,432 votes. Caleb Celestine, an Independent could only muster a meager seven votes. The voter turn-out there was 58.68% lower than the 2011 figure of 63.49%. Total electors there were 5,005 out of which 2,937 cast their ballots.

Almost the same thing could be said for the Dennery North seat. However, instead of the UWP being in the driver’s seat it was the SLP. Shawn Edward (SLP) had an early scare when the votes were being counted but was able to pull ahead with 2,271 votes while Jimmy Henry (UWP), who was thrust into the political spotlight late into the political campaign, finished with 2,140 votes. Sixty votes were rejected out of 4,471 votes. The total electors in that constituency were 8,135. Voter turn-out was 54.96% compared to that of 59.07% of 2011.

In the Castries South East constituency, Guy Joseph (UWP) amassed 4,325 votes to Joachim Henry (SLP) 3,169 votes. The votes cast were 7,650 out of 13,759 electors in that constituency. Voter turn-out was 55.60% slightly below the 56.57% figure coming out of the 2011 general elections. There were 156 rejected votes.