US Supreme Court halts manual recounts

WASHINGTON - A divided US Supreme Court, throwing the latest bombshell into the disputed presidential election, halted manual recounts of the vote in Florida on Sunday (NZ time), freezing the battle between Al Gore and George W. Bush until it can hear arguments on Tuesday.

The decision, possibly robbing Gore of his best hope of victory, means that the nine justices of the US Supreme Court could well decide the winner of the November 7 presidential election.

The court scheduled 90 minutes for oral arguments.

Seven of the nine Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republican presidents. In recent years, the court often has had a narrow conservative majority.

By a 5-4 vote, the justices granted a motion requested by Bush, the governor of Texas and Republican nominee, to halt manual recounts of disputed votes in Florida that had been ordered by that state's Supreme Court only one day before.

They also voided an order by the Florida court that had reduced Bush's lead from 537 to 154 votes. The state court, all of whose judges were appointed by Democrat governors, on Friday had allowed the inclusion of nearly 400 Gore votes that Florida's Secretary of State Katherine Harris, a prominent Republican, had refused to accept.

In the seesawing drama that has followed the election, the ruling was a crucial success for Bush and a setback for Vice President Gore, the Democratic nominee.

Expressing disappointment, Gore's legal advisers said the vice president had already picked up a net gain of 58 votes in 13 counties, including some that had voted overwhelmingly for Bush in the election.

In Tallahassee, Gore lawyer David Boies gave a preview of the arguments to be made. ``The US Supreme Court ought not to step in and substitute its judgment as to what the intent of the voter was for the judgment of the state officials.''

Bush campaign representative James Baker said the US Supreme Court had protected the US Constitution, which guarantees equal value for all votes.

Remaining cautious on the ultimate outcome, he added: ``I really think it's sad that we seem to be deciding the national election for president of the United States in lawsuits and in courthouses after the election outcome has been certified.''

- REUTERS

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