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CCJ ruling was “strong, clear, reasoned” – Jagdeo
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, yesterday welcomed the ruling handed down by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), paving the way for the declaration of the results of the March 2, 2020 Elections using the valid votes from the National Recount.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo
“Today, we are vindicated,” Jagdeo told the press during a virtual briefing “So we are extremely pleased that the Caribbean Court of Justice has set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal of Guyana.”
The Appellate Court had ruled, in the Eslyn David case, that the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield must determine the results of the election based on a calculation of valid votes and that the phrase “more votes cast” in Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution must be construed to mean “more valid votes cast.”
It was because of this ruling that the Opposition ventured to the Caribbean Court.
“We believe from the beginning that the decision of the Court of Appeal was perverse, we argue that they lacked jurisdiction, that the Article that they used to infringe on other matters relating to the elections has nothing to do with the qualifications of the President. And therefore, they were acting outside of their jurisdiction”, he continued.
Referring to the ruling handed down by the President of the CCJ, Justice Adrian Saunders as “strong, clear and reasoned”, Jagdeo stated, “We are extremely pleased that they (CCJ) also set aside Lowenfield’s report that had fraudulently disenfranchised over 115,000 persons. But in doing so, the President of the Court, reading out part of a summary of a unanimous decision, he pointed out how Lowenfield had acted unlawfully.”
With the ruling, the Opposition Leader stressed that the CEO now has clear guidance to carry out his duty by preparing the final report using the figures amassed at the recount.
Those figures show that the PPP won the March 2 Elections with 233,336 valid votes while the incumbent A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) followed behind with 217,920 valid votes.
But notwithstanding this, Jagdeo expressed concern on what would be the next move taken by Lowenfield.
“The CEO has clear guidance now,” he said “let us see if he will continue to act unlawfully or in accordance with the guidance of the CCJ, a superior court.”
The Opposition Leader explained taking into consideration that Lowenfield flouted the stay of the Appeal Court ruling and forged ahead with the preparation of his report using falsified figures; Lowenfield may act in a “contemptuous” manner.
“Lowenfield could be contemptuous since he has acted in such a brave manner before. He could act in contempt of court.”
He also noted the support from the international community throughout the process and stated that they must feel “vindicated” in their positions. Additionally, Jagdeo stated that the party remains hopeful that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will follow the clear guidance of the CCJ and move Guyana’s four-month long electoral process to a “speedy conclusion.”
He added, “I hope that APNU will not continue efforts to block the declaration and I hope that Granger listens carefully to the ruling so there would be no excuse for the shenanigans of his party members. You never know what APNU comes up with next.”
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