The United Workers Party (UWP) filed five petitions in the High Court on January 8, 2011, challenging the legality of the December 2009 general elections outcomes in five constituencies including Veille Casse and Laplaine where Prime Minister and Education Minister prevailed.

However, Chief Justice Errol Thomas threw out all of the petitions, except that of the dual citizenship of the Prime Minister and Minister of Education.

The UWP is seeking to get the court to overturn the nomination and election of Skerrit and St. Jean, since according to them, they both held dual citizenship, which in essence demonstrated allegiance to a foreign power by virtue of their own acts.

The petition further contends that since their nominations and subsequent election were “void and of no legal effect”, only those who were qualified and validly nominated as candidates of the election was and is entitled to be the duly elected members of Veille Casse and La Plaine.

Meantime, when the matter resumes this morning, Skerrit and St. Jean will not be required to disclose their passports.

The application brought by UWP Leader Ron Green and UWP candidate Maynard Joseph seeking to compel Skerrit and St. Jean of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) to produce these documents, was also  dismissed.

The court however granted a request to have the chief elections officer disclose the nomination forms (Form 13) filled by Skerrit and St. Jean ahead of the 2009 general elections.

The UWP had argued that in order to have a fair trial the passports had to be disclosed.