UPP celebrates court victory

CMC: Supporters of the ruling United Progressive Party (UPP) took to the streets in an impromptu celebration after the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal overturned a lower court ruling that could have resulted in the collapse of the Baldwin Spencer administration.

Party supporters, waving flags, honked their car horns after the three-member Appeals Court upheld the appeal filed by the three members of the UPP challenging the High Court ruling that their March 12 general election victory was invalid.

Justice Louise Blenman had declared the victory of Prime Minister Spencer, Tourism Minister John Maginey and Education Minister Jacqui Quinn-Leandro invalid, basing her ruling on polling-day irregularities, particularly the long delays before voting began in the constituencies of St John's Rural West, St John's Rural North and St George.