By IRENE MEDINA Saturday, August 4 2007

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WELL DONE EASTLYN: Independent Senator Dr Eastlyn Mc Kenzie with her Lifetime Achievement in the Arts award which she received at the Cacique Awards a...

THE Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) made it clear yesterday that any candidate running for a seat on the UNC Alliance ticket in the General Election constitutionally due this year, must first confirm he/she is a member of the UNC party.

According to the Commission, “any candidate purporting to use the symbol, UNC Alliance against his name on the ballot paper has to inform the Returning Officer that he/she is a member of the United National Congress (UNC).”

The EBC also added that the candidate must “accordingly confirm such membership by presenting to the Returning Officer (on Nomi-nation Day) a list of the UNC party candidates over the signature of the leader of the UNC party.”

Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday remains the current political leader of the UNC. Told that the EBC said the UNC and UNC Alliance were one and the same party, Panday conceded, “Yes, I am the leader.”

The EBC statement is seeking to clarify some confusion raised about the UNC Alliance and whether it is a new party or not. Newsday raised the issue with the EBC and was pointed to Rules 23(2) and 23(6) of the Elections Rules of the Representa-tion of the People Act.

According to the Commission, “on Monday July 23, the chairman of the Elections and Boundaries Commis-sion received two identical communication from the Secretary of the UNC requesting amendment of the party’s symbol: the first by fax and the second, a hand delivered letter dated July 20, 2007.”

The EBC said that Rule 23 (2) clearly states that: “on application of any political party desirous of using at an election the same symbol for all its candidates at the election (referred to as the party symbol) which application shall be made not later than three days after the publication of the election notice for the election, the Commission may assign to such party the party symbol so applied for and the symbol shall thereupon become the party symbol of the party for the election and all subsequent elections, unless and until, on application made as above, another party symbol is assigned to the political party.” Newsday learnt that last week Thursday July 26, the EBC approved the amended UNC Rising Sun symbol, to represent the UNC Alliance, which is a coalition of five political parties.