GECOM meeting on recount delayed

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) says it will be studying the rulings of the Full Court of Appeal today before a scheduled meeting Thursday to discuss the way forward.

The ruling of the Full Court of Appeal on Tuesday discharged all injunctions that restrained GECOM from executing its full mandate.

The decision to delay the meeting until Thursday was met with rejection by Opposition nominated GECOM Commissioners Sase Gunraj, Bibi Shadick and Robeson who in a statement noted that it is “unacceptable.”

The Full Court, comprising Chief Justice Roxane George and Justice Nareshwar Harnanan, on Tuesday discharged the injunctions granted by the High Court Judge Franklyn Holder on March 17 in which he stopped GECOM from carrying out a national recount of votes cast at the March 02 general and regional elections.

In a unanimous decision, the Full Court ruled that Justice Holder made an error in determining that he can hear the case filed by APNU+AFC Candidate Ulita Moore.

Following the ruling, the Opposition GECOM Commissioners said they were contacted about their availability for a meeting at 10:00hrs Wednesday but at 08:43hrs, they received an email from GECOM which stated: “The Government Commissioners requests 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).”

The Opposition GECOM Commissioners said, “The judgment of the Full Court was broadcast live on national media. The world had access to it. The judgment was pellucid and requires little explanation, if any.

“The nation and world anxiously awaits a resolution of this matter that is now one month old. We recall the numerous occasions on which such stalling measures were employed with the inevitable result being to facilitate some dilatory tactic or the other.”

The three Commissioners further noted that a meeting should be called immediately.

“There are legal and constitutional remedies for non attendance.

“We hope that the local and foreign observers as well as the international community take note of this further attempt to delay the conclusion of the electoral process.

“How much longer are we going to allow GECOM to operate to the detriment of the national interest?”