Latest update December 16th, 2024 9:00 AM
Patterson’s order is all that’s needed to prove House-to-House will surpass September 18 – Jagdeo
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo says that if lawyers want to prove that House-to-House Registration will go beyond September 18, 2019 – three months after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)’s ruling on the validity of the December 21, 2018 vote of no confidence in the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government, then they need to look no further than the Order made by former chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo
During a discussion on a local radio show on Tuesday, last, the Opposition Leader recalled that, earlier that day, Attorney-at-Law and Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram, failed so far in his bid to secure a Conservatory Order against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to stop the house-to-house registration process, which commenced last week Saturday.
Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire, had said that she was not satisfied based on the evidence in the affidavit that GECOM is not acting to complete the registration process to hold elections by the September 18 constitutional timeframe, Ram’s lawyer, Anil Nandlall, told reporters outside of the courtroom.
About that, Jagdeo said, “I am sure that the PPP can prove to the Court that the House-to-House Registration is inconsistent with the timeline imposed by the CCJ and the Constitution.”
The text of the Constitution in focus is Article 106(7), which states that, if the Government is defeated by a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly, “… notwithstanding its defeat, the government shall remain in office and shall hold an election within three months.”
As the CCJ ruled on Government’s appeal of the motion on June 18, 2019, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has requested that General and Regional Elections be held by or before September 18, 2019 – three months past the ruling.
For proof that the House-to-House exercise will exceed that timeframe, Jagdeo made reference to Patterson’s order, dated June 11, 2019.
It states that all persons qualified to be electors and have attained the age of 14 years on the qualifying date, October 31, 2019, “shall… be registered under the process of House-to-House registration with reference to 31st October, 2019 and the registration of those persons shall begin on 20th July, 2019 and end on the 20th October, 2019.”
Jagdeo’s contention is that, as the Order states October 20, 2019 as the completion date for the exercise, the proof is undeniable that the exercise will not allow for elections to be held before September 18, 2019.
According to Nandlall, “The Chief Justice did not grant the Conservatory Order which we sought to restrain the registration process. But significantly the Chief Justice emphasised that she understands that the CCJ ruled that the elections must be held by September 18 in accordance with Articles 106 and 107 of the Constitution.”
Furthermore, Nandlall said that Justice George said that she wants more evidence to persuade her that the registration exercise will take elections beyond that timeframe. Nandlall indicated that he would be filing another affidavit in which he will lay out the evidence to support his contention that the registration exercise will collide with, and go way beyond the timeframe, “which the Chief Justice said for the holding of elections is September 18.”
Ram has listed Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield, the Commissioner of National Registration, GECOM, and Attorney General Basil Williams as the Respondents in his challenge. The Respondents and the Guyana Bar Association, which was granted permission by the Chief Justice to be a party in the case, were given until month-end to file written submissions with the court.
The Chief Justice has agreed to hear arguments on the constitutionality of the process, which is set to begin on Friday, August 2, at the High Court in Demerara.
GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, had said days ago that GECOM already managed to register 20,000 persons in just two days.
Speaking briefly with Kaieteur News last night, Ward said that it is too early in the exercise to be able to assess its pace. Hence, it’s too early to predict just when it would end.
Meanwhile, the Opposition continues to urge its supporters to boycott the exercise.
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