St Cuthbert’s Mission group demands fresh polls for Toshao

SOME DISGRUNTLED ST CUTHBERT’S MISSION RESIDENTS ARE DEMANDING
FRESH ELECTIONS CITING A SLEW OF IRREGULARITIES which catapulted the
incumbent Mr. Timothy Andrews to the post as Toshao.
Well-placed community sources told www.aroundtheregions.com that the group of very unhappy
residents wants the results of the recent polls tossed and filed an official petition with the
Ministry of Amerindian Affairs. The sources confirmed that officials from the Ministry recently
visited the Mahaica River community to investigate the electoral complaints.
But controversies are already swirling around the existence of the petition, with some residents
questioning its authenticity and distancing themselves from it although their signatures can
clearly be seen on it. They claimed the group tricked therm.
They explained signing a document seeking relief for flood and the ongoing COVID pandemic
and were mystified how their signatures appeared on the controversial political document.
This is not the first-time this group has tried to unseat a sitting Toshao, knowledgeable sources
told this media house. They recalled similar clandestine attempts when Ms. Beverley Clenkian
was the Toshao, and they launched vicious personal attacks against the educator in a bid to
overthrow her before the end of her three-year term.
When contacted, Toshao Andrews confirmed the ongoing controversy, the filing of the petition
and the visit by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs officials.
A young male resident who claimed to be among the duped, said the only petition he knew is one
seeking “increased support for residents who have suffered immensely as a result of the floods.”
But Andrews is unbothered by the antics of the group who astonishingly claimed non-residents
were bussed in to St Cuthbert’s to help inflate support for his slate. He told
www.aroundtheregions.com that his poll victory can survive any level of scrutiny, including a
forensic audit.

“My support and votes for me to be elected as the Toshao came from this community. I am not
aware of any person being brought in to vote for me. These are all lies geared at distracting
persons from what I am seeking to do. The petition in my mind was all based on emotions by
persons who have not yet accepted that they have lost the elections. You have some persons who
lost and instead of accepting that and coming together to work with me they have chosen to file a
petition and, worse yet, deceived persons into signing it under false pretense,” Andrews said.
“This is very disturbing to see that there are a few residents who are bent on creating undue
mischief and will go to any lengths to achieve their agenda resulting in the suffering of their
fellow villagers,” the Toshao observed.
Sources close to the ongoing probe disclosed Amerindian Affairs Ministry officials are in
the process of wrapping up their investigations and are expected to make their findings
public shortly.