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By-election goes ahead despite arrests
DOUGLAS East by-election candidate Kevin Woodford believes this week's poll should have been put 'on hold' – pending the outcome of police inquiries into claims of proxy vote irregularities.
He confirmed that police investigating allegations of corrupt or illegal practice over proxy vote applications had arrested his campaign manager, Charles 'Buster' Lewin, 54, on Wednesday. Mr Lewin was bailed in the evening.
The previous day, officers arrested four members of his campaign team.
The two women aged 23 and 24 and two men aged 47 and 49 were all released on police bail on Tuesday evening.
Mr Lewin told iomtoday he 'strenuously denied' the 'spurious allegations'.
He said he was questioned for eight hours and police seized his computer equipment from the Woodford campaign headquarters on Derby Square.
'In my many years, I have never come across an election like this. It stinks,' he said.
He called for a full inquiry into the by-election. He said the election legislation was 'deficient' and the proxy forms 'defective'.
He added that if no inquiry were held, he would seek a petition for redress of grievance at Tynwald.
People in Douglas East have been casting their votes since this morning. There are no legal means to stop the poll, even if officials wanted to do that. All the proxy votes must be counted.
TV chef and Douglas hotelier Mr Woodford stressed that he was not under investigation himself and claimed the episode had 'hijacked' his campaign and the election would now be 'unfair'.
He said: 'In relation to my standing I think that what has gone on over the last few weeks, not just couple of days, has strengthened my resolve to enter into the political arena.
'Twenty four hours before the election police were talking to my campaign manager. We don't know what the outcome will be. Will this colour the view of the voters? Of course it will.
'Consequently, it's an unfair election and it would be much better, if the law allowed it, for it to be put on hold until all inquiries are concluded.
'I am angry and disappointed. I've worked very hard, seriously hard, on this campaign. This was not just a whim.
'The situation is unprecedented and it's a total farce.
'Those held on Tuesday were released without charge after 15 hours of questioning. I am not under investigation, there are no allegations regarding me or my candidacy. I've had that from the highest level. I have done nothing untoward.'
He said he was shocked to be told the first members of his campaign team and then his campaign manager Buster Lewin were being interviewed.
'As far as I'm concerned it does not affect my campaign in the slightest.'
wHe said Mr Lewin had assured him that everything the campaign team had done was with good intent and integrity.
He said the election raised 'some very serious questions', irrespective of the result, about the 'manner in which allegations were made'.
Mr Woodford, 59, who found fame on TV's 'Can't Cook Won't Cook', said he had entered into the election with a manifesto 'written from the heart'.
A spokesman for the Attorney General's chambers said that it would not be possible to postpone an election.
'Once an an election has been called it has to be held,' he said.
'If there are complaints of malpractice they have to be sorted out afterwards,' he said, adding that this would be done by way of an election petition to the High Court.
'A despotic regime could try to postpone an election if they felt they were going to lose - for that reason the need to hold an election once called is sacrosanct.'
He said the secrecy of the vote was also sacrosanct and all the proxy and absent votes would be counted in the normal way.
The other candidates are Kate Beecroft (Liberal Vannin), Colin Cain, Chris Heath, Jon Joughin and Chris Robertshaw.
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Weather for Isle of Man
Saturday 04 February 2012
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