'Blackie' blamed for witnesses' absence Stabroek News February 10, 2000 The late fugitive Linden 'Blackie' London was blamed for the absence of witnesses in the elections petition yesterday. Hubert Rodney, counsel for respondent Stanley Singh, the Chief Election Officer, explained that some witnesses from the East Bank Demerara were unable to get to Georgetown because of the siege of the guest house at Eccles where 'Blackie' was holed up. Shereen Allicock, a PPP polling agent at Carmel Community High School and Lalchand Jagdeo a PPP polling agent from Garden of Eden, who had already been led by Rodney on Monday were cross-examined by Peter Britton, counsel for petitioner Esther Perreira. One new witness showed up--Kamilla Bemaul, a PPP polling agent at GPSU headquarters on New Garden Street. Bemaul was led by Rodney and then cross-examined by Britton as to her actions on election day 1997. No discrepancies in the vote count were noted. The elections petition was brought by Perreira on the grounds that the elections process was so flawed as to be unable to accurately reflect the will of the people.