Jackson Calls Colo. Count Suspicious

Democratic candidate Jesse Jackson today complained that the slow count of caucus results in Colorado was “beyond explanation” and suggested it may have been delayed to give the appearance of a lead for rival Michael S. Dukakis.

With 57% of the precincts in Colorado reporting, the six-point lead held by the Massachusetts governor when counting stopped early this morning had narrowed to four points by noon.

Dukakis had 45% of the vote while Jackson had 41%. Sen. Albert Gore Jr. of Tennessee, who made little effort in the state, trailed with less than 3%.

Jackson said Colorado state Democratic Party Chairman Buie Seawell had appeared “biased and politically unethical” for remaining in control of the party apparatus while endorsing Dukakis.

Can’t Be Fair Referee

“The state chairman endorsed Mr. Dukakis,” Jackson said. “You cannot very well be a fair referee and coaching another player.”

Jackson said Colorado Democrats had changed 30 caucus sites as late as Friday or Saturday without telling the Jackson campaign.

Jackson said his campaign manager, Gerald Austin, had been trying to reach Democratic Party Chairman Paul Kirk to protest the Colorado situation.

“It comes very close to obstructing justice,” Jackson said. He said the changing of caucus sites “goes to the heart of the pre-clearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act.”

As an example of unfairness, Jackson said one of the caucus sites was in the governor’s mansion.

Governor’s Mansion Site

“A caucus site in the governor’s mansion does not appear to be proper,” he said. The caucus sites “should be in very public places, mutually agreed upon by the candidates and the party.”

Jackson said he did not publicly protest the changing of caucus sites while campaigning in Colorado over the weekend because he wanted “to avoid creating conflict.”

He said Austin had protested to Seawell, whose response Jackson described as “not one that was rational.”

Jackson spoke to reporters after appearing before auto workers in Kenosha, the last stop of his campaign in Wisconsin as voters were going to the polls today for the state presidential primary.

“This long and slow count represents a certain ineptness . . . it heightens suspicions,” Jackson said.

He said the point was underscored by the fact that missing precincts were in Denver and Boulder--not remote areas. As of this noon, only a quarter of the Denver vote had been counted.