No Court can extend three-month deadline – Opposition Leader

Aug 01, 2019 News

Finance Minister Winston Jordan has said that Government may appeal the legal challenge to House to House Registration all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) if need be.

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

But Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, says that a deadline has been set for General and Regional Elections, and that no Court can change that.
During a press conference at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Church Street, Jagdeo said that the CCJ has already ruled on the No Confidence Motion of December 21, 2018, and that a consequence of that ruling is that elections must be held within three months of the ruling – before September 18, 2018.
But House to House Registration started on July 20, last, and the Order announcing it indicated that the process of registering persons on the ground would conclude on October 20, 2019.
Kaieteur News is in possession of the work plan of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) which indicates that the wider process would go well into 2020 – to February or March. Yesterday, Jagdeo said that that process is only for the creation of the National Register of Registrants, and that to create the Official List of Electors, it would take more time.
For these reasons, the Opposition has staunchly opposed the exercise.
Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram has requested that a Conservatory Order be approved by the High Court, halting the controversial exercise.
To this, Chief Justice Roxane George said that more proof is needed that the exercise would cause elections to be held beyond September 18, 2019.
She has agreed that elections should be held within that timeframe.
Asked whether Government would respect such a Conservatory Order, Jordan said last week that Government would, but that the process could face an appeal.
He said that when the CCJ rules, only then will there be no other court. The rulings of each Court would have to be respected, he said, “bearing in mind that either party… can take the case to the next step to reach the final court.”
This could mean months of litigation, likened unto the multiple appeals that followed the No Confidence Motion. That had passed on December 21, 2018, and received its final judgment from the Caribbean Court of Justice on June 18, 2019 – six months later.
Despite this being a likely reality in future, Jagdeo said that no Court can change the fact that elections have to be held within the three month period.
According to law, the only thing that can change that is a two-thirds vote of the National Assembly, which Jagdeo has said the Opposition will never support.
“So GECOM will have to prepare for elections within that timeframe. And therefore, if they appeal the House to House issue all the way to the CCJ, they can’t override the Constitution or preparation for elections.”
Jagdeo said that there is a new GECOM chairperson, and that she has said she will abide by the Constitution.
“That’s all we want.” Jagdeo said.
“We don’t want anyone who is partial. Justice Claudette Singh has had a distinguished career in the Judiciary and I don’t think she has demonstrated partiality to either side. And so if she’s guided by the Constitution and the laws of the Country, we believe in the law. The Constitution says elections in three months.”

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