Lowenfield seeks to block Gunraj, Shadick from motion seeking his dismissal

Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield has filed an application at the courts, seeking an order preventing government-nominated GECOM commissioners Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shadick from participating in the discussion of the motion tabled for his immediate dismissal.

This application was filed on Tuesday by Lowenfield’s attorney, Nigel Hughes at the High Court; GECOM is the named respondent in the application.

Lowenfield, in the application, has asked for a declaration that he is entitled to the protection of the rules of natural justice and the right to a fair hearing and determination for the motion of his dismissal brought by Gunraj and seconded by Shadick.

He has also sought an order restraining Gunraj and Shadick from participating as adjudicators in the hearing.

Lowenfield, in the application, seeks a declaration that the government-nominated commissioners cannot properly participate, hear and determine their own complaint against him.

The application also seeks a declaration that the respondent, which is GECOM, having determined that there shall be a hearing of the motion, is bound to provide him with a fair hearing, including the protections of the rules of natural justice.

Listing the grounds for the application, Lowenfield said, inter alia, that he was entitled to the rules of natural justice to a fair hearing, in keeping with the terms of his employment contract, including the right not to have the complainants participate as adjudicators in the hearing of their own complaints against him.

He contended that the participation of Gunraj and Shadick in the deliberations of his dismissal “infected the deliberations of the Commission with bias”.

Last month, a motion to immediately dismiss the embattled Lowenfield, was moved by Gunraj, while Shadick, moved another motion to remove his Deputy, Roxanne Myers. The third motion was moved by Commissioner, Manoj Narayan, seeking the immediate dismissal of District #4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

The trio is accused of electoral fraud, committed last year during the March 2020 Regional and General Elections.

Importantly, with the current makeup of the Commission- that is, three government-nominated commissioners and three opposition-nominated commissioners in addition to the chairperson, the success of these motions now rely essentially on the vote of the GECOM Chairperson, Justice (retired) Claudette Singh.