Voters in the Brussels municipality of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode will soon have to cast their ballots again. The local elections in this commune have officially been annulled as outgoing mayor Emir Kir will not appeal the decision of the Court of Justice.
The October local elections in Saint-Josse were won with an absolute majority by sitting mayor Emir Kir's Liste du Bourgmestre. However, an official complaint was filed by leading figures from Ecolo, PS and Team Fouad Ahidar in Saint-Josse, who expressed concerns over fraud.
The results were declared invalid earlier this month after it was revealed that fraud had occurred with proxy votes (where voters assign their vote to a trusted person when they cannot vote). The Brussels Court of Law found a range of irregularities with proxy voting including missing signatures, incomplete data, and/or lack of certification.
Kir's list was granted eight days to appeal with the Council of State. However, on Wednesday night, he confirmed that he would not do so at a Liste du Bourgmestre meeting.
The people of Saint-Josse will therefore have to vote again. The municipality must organise new elections within 50 days, so the election re-run will have to take place by 10 January at the latest.
Kir still candidate
Kir said his absolute majority in October was one of the reasons not to appeal. "They want to taint an undeniable victory by spreading malicious rumours," he said. "Our answer is simple: no more exaggerated analyses or political infighting. My remedy lies in the voters' hands." He stressed that his lack of appeal does not equate to admitting that mistakes were made.
Despite the ruling, Kir can remain a candidate for the new elections as this specific court only takes administrative decisions.
However, a judicial investigation is also ongoing at the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office into possible electoral fraud. Should Kir or other politicians be found guilty in this investigation, this could affect their electability.
