Gore pinning hopes on Florida SC ruling

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, DEC. 7. The crucial Florida Supreme Court hearing, that would to a large extent determine if the Vice-President, Mr. Al Gore, still has a shot at the Presidency, began on Thursday. The seven judges - six Democrats and one Independent but all appointed by Democratic Governors - have to decide, among other things, whether or not to dismiss a circuit court ruling that disallowed another recount of some 14,000 disputed ballots.

The State Supreme Court has taken up Mr. Gore's appeal on an emergency basis and is expected to issue a ruling soon, perhaps even by the end of the day. Analysts say the court is well aware of the time deadlines in the U.S. presidential election. It is also being pointed out that the Supreme Court will have to grapple with the issue of standards if it is going to allow the Vice-President's main petition to stand. The Texas Governor, Mr. George W. Bush's legal team will most certainly seek a ruling on this.

The general impression is that Mr. Gore is pinning his hopes on a favourable ruling from the Florida Supreme Court as this is perhaps his last ``hope''. But, Mr. Gore is also ``counting'' on two sleeper cases in the Seminole and Martin counties. Here, the courts have been asked to reject absentee ballots, allegedly tampered with by the Republicans.

The number of ballots in question is 24,000 and a ruling to even disallow a small number of them could affect the overall outcome given that Mr. Bush only has a 537-vote lead in the State. The Bush campaign is contesting these cases in Tallahassee and will most certainly move higher courts if the ruling is in Mr. Gore's favour.

``Time is of the essence in this matter. If the office at issue was not the Presidency, delaying ballot counting until after all other issues are resolved would not be such and irremediable and egregious error,'' Mr. Gore's lawyers said in written briefs to the Florida Supreme Court.

Lawyers for Mr. Bush referred to what the Leon county circuit court judge, Mr. Sanders Sauls, said while disposing of the Gore petition: ``Yet another recount on any significant scale would likely prove futile.''

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