Apr 02, 2020 News
All of Guyana was yesterday preparing for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to meet and to deliberate on how the country would move forward in conclusion of its electoral process, which has lasted for one month, to the day.
GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette Singh had told Kaieteur News of a planned meeting for 10:00 am yesterday. That meeting did not happen.
The Full Court had on Tuesday ruled that the Court did not have the jurisdiction that Justice Franklyn Holder had assumed for the purpose of blocking a CARICOM-supervised national recount of votes through a series of injunctions.
The Full Court’s ruling effectively paved the way for the recount. But according to Commissioner Sase Gunraj, the Commissioners nominated by the governing coalition said that they needed to seek clarity on the ruling, which required time.
Gunraj said that he had received an inquiry from the Chairman’s office about his availability for the 10:00 am meeting, but he later received an email early in the morning which read “The Government Commissioners request that they be given an opportunity to read the decision of the Full Court, since the purpose of the meeting is to discuss the way forward. They requested that the meeting be held tomorrow morning instead (the time will be communicated).”
Gunraj found this unacceptable. He said that the judgment, broadcast live on national media, was pellucid and that it required little explanation if any.
He referred to the request for postponement as one of many “stalling measures” employed to facilitate “some dilatory tactic or the other”.
It was later revealed by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) executive, Anil Nandlall, that the applicant in the case, Ulita Moore, would be heading to the Court of Appeal today to apply for a leave of judgment, as they prepared to file an appeal of the Full Court’s ruling.
Nandlall sought to make it clear that there is currently no stay of execution, and that nothing is stopping GECOM from doing the recount. He too did not understand why it was necessary for the Government Commissioners to get extra time to study the judgment. In a Facebook post, he asked “What is there to study?”
In a statement, the PPP said it appears as though there is an attempt to subvert the will of the people by preventing the recount President David Granger contemplated. The party said that those deceitful efforts by elements of the governing coalition required its leader, Granger, to step in and ensure there is a full and transparent recount.
The main opposition party called on Granger to “rein in” those elements in the coalition who are “feigning a desire to move things forward in a lawful and credible manner publicly while engaging in criminal actions that will only lead Guyana down a path of international isolation behind the scenes.”
Justice Singh is coming under increasing pressure to assume stronger control over the Commission and ensure the recount happens swiftly.
“The Chairperson of GECOM must act now and decisively so,” Nandlall said.
She has been written to by several civil society and business organizations to ensure the electoral process is concluded in a credible and transparent manner.