Contested elections deferred to increase participation

Thursday 04 November 2021

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Parishioners in St Martin's and St Peter Port have been urged to make their vote count after the only two contested douzaine elections were deferred for two weeks.

In St Peter Port, seven candidates vied for six positions, and in St Martin's, five parishioners put themselves forward for the four available roles.

The election for four St Martin’s douzeniers – to be contested by Peter Nigel Dorey, Ben Edward Gregg, Charlotte Le Tissier, Andrew James Castle and Cynthia Meryl Cormack - will take place on Wednesday 17 November, 08:00 to 20:00.  

However, the parish only just secured the seven votes needed to defer the election, with the room being asked for “one more person” to raise their hand and conclude the deferral.  

Senior Constable of the Parish, Jeff Wilkes-Green, explained the benefits of deferring the election: “There are only around 50 people who have turned up tonight, so it can be advertised that we’re having a deferred election and over the whole day we can get a greater number of parishioners involved and engage with a wider audience.” 

Although St Sampson's Douzaine Elections were uncontested for me as Douzenier and Constable, I just want all those in the parish to know, I will do my very best to serve you to the best of my ability

— Leonie Le Tissier (@LeonieLeTissier) November 3, 2021 

Pictured: St Sampson's Constable Leonie Le Tissier, elected unopposed vowed that she would work hard for the good of her parish. 

@StPeterPortPari elections - democracy in the making, one of only two parishes having contested elections this year. Would ???? to see more islanders standing up for our island next time. #democracy #elections #parishes #SPP #town pic.twitter.com/CC2NYkPG0s

— Sasha Kazantseva-Miller (@sashakmiller) November 3, 2021

Pictured: Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller emphasised the important of grassroots democracy. 

Despite allowing more of the electorate to get involved, the deferral will cost the parish due to advertisements of the election and the cost of manning the parish hall for the entire day, Mr Wilkes-Green added.

St Peter Port's elections saw a changing of the guard at the helm of the Douzaine, with long-standing Senior Constable Dennis Le Moignan stepping down. 

The turnout – which failed to build on the strong participation at last year’s douzaine elections - has reignited calls from a local campaign group to reform the 1948 Law.

A section of that law requires the parishes to advertise the elections in La Gazette Officielle, which Women in Public Life Chair Shelaine Green says is both “costly and not in keeping with modern methods of reaching and inspiring islanders.”

All other candidates for parish constable and douzenier roles were unopposed on Wednesday 3 November. 

The results of Guernsey's elections for Constables and Douzeniers:

St Sampson

Office of Constable (1 seat available)

Leonie Ann Le Tissier

Office of Douzenier (2)

Adrian Geoffrey Dilcock

Joseph William Abbotts

 

St Pierre Du Bois

Office of Douzenier (3)

P Domaile

T Langlois

S Fell

 

Torteval

Office of Constable (1)

Tracy Ann Bisson

Office of Douzenier (3)

Tim Channer Corfield

Conor Alan Burke

Stephen James Brehaut

 

Castel

Office of Douzenier (3)

Joanne May 

Barry John Edward Paint

Robert Peter Falla

 

St Saviour

Office of Constable (1)

John Louis Gillson

Office of Douzenier (4)

John Louis Gillson

Peter Raymond Harris

Sophie Marguerite Betty

Susan Mary Watson

 

Forest

Office of Constable (2)

Clive Le Tissier

Jane Corinne Eleanor Niles

Office of Douzenier (3)

Jonathan Le Moignan

David Reginald Barrow

Richard Ernest Breban

 

St Andrew

Office of Constable (1)

Martin John Thwaite

Office of Douzenier (3)

David Michael Prosser

Kulvinder Singh

Philip Charles Retz

Office of Douzenier (one seat for one year term)

Matthew David Toussaint

 

Vale

Office of Constable (2)

Richard Alan Leale

William Harold Cohu

Office of Douzenier (4)

Rosemary Anne Henry

Terrance Ives Ashworth

Jonathan Bond

Anne Bernadette Setters