GECOM chair tells Norton parties aggrieved by election results have right to file petition with High Court

The chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, has told Aubrey Norton, leader of the PNC-led APNU, that any party aggrieved by the outcome of the elections will have the right to file an appeal with the High Court. This follows a request by Norton for the polls to be quashed and for the ongoing recount to be halted over questions he had about the elections.

“GECOM’s primary responsibility is to conduct elections in a free, fair, and transparent manner, while adhering strictly to the laws of Guyana,” Justice Singh said in a letter to Norton.

She said the Commission is committed to ensuring that the will of the people, as expressed through their votes, is accurately reflected in the final results. She further urged that all stakeholders allow the established legal and procedural mechanisms to run their course.

APNU had requested recounts in some areas of Regions Four and Five.

“Once the recounts are completed, and the CEO (Chief Elections Officer) presents the final results to the Commission, any parties aggrieved by the outcome will have the right to file an election petition to the High Court, in accordance with Article 163 of the Constitution.”

Norton has requested a forensic audit of the elections or a complete annulment of the current electoral process, followed by the holding of fresh elections.

But Justice Singh pointed to the constitution and stated: “Article 163 of the Constitution of Guyana explicitly stipulates that the High Court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to determine whether any question, whether generally or in any particular place, the election was lawfully conducted, or the result thereof has been or may have been affected by any lawful act or omission.”

The results of the elections, as declared in all ten electoral districts, show that the PPP has won the elections, with APNU coming in third, just after newcomer WIN. Those results show the PPP having 46,000 votes more than the combined total of the other five parties that contested the elections.