TURKS&CAICOS ISLANDS-POLITICS-Date for by-election announced

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos, CMC – Voters in the Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hills constituency will elect a new parliamentary representative on February 22 in a by-election that could possibly result in a change of government in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). Following the November 1 elections last year, the Progressive National Party (PNP) held a one seat majority over the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) but a court ruling last week, meant that both parties now held eight seats each in the Parliament. The Electoral Office said that the date for the by-election had been delayed pending the outcome of the court ruling on two other election petitions. However, it noted that one of the petitions was dismissed and the other withdrawn. “After some weeks of uncertainty the outcomes from the election petitions are now clear. As we are all aware, the Court’s decision on the Cheshire Hall petition means that an equal number of elected seats in the House of Assembly are held by the PNP and PDM. It makes sense to resolve this situation as swiftly as possible with a by-election in March,” Governor Damian Todd said.