… New date for BCB elections in the making

WITH new elections for the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) forthcoming, former president Dhierandranauth Somwaru says he still has interest for the game in the Ancient County.
Somwaru made the disclosure yesterday, adding that he will once again run for president of the BCB.

“Berbice cricket is still close to me, and while our programme is hindered somewhat by the court action and weather, the interest is still at heart,” Somwaru said.
He added, “As a former national and regional umpire, I want to give back to the game because the game has given me a lot. The love for the game is still there, so yea, definitely, I will run for president again”.
Asked whether there will be any changes to his slate for the upcoming elections, Somwaru, who is the president of the Guyana Cricket Umpires Council (GCUC) said, there is some possibility, taking into consideration the reform structure to the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA).

Imtiaz Bacchus, David Black and Winston Roberts were elected as the three vice-presidents while Vickram Seubarran (secretary), Carol Nurse (assistant secretary), Godwyn Allicock (treasurer) and Leslie Solomon (assistant treasurer) were the other executives elected at the contentious October elections. Black and Bacchus are the BCB’s representatives at the national level.

High Court Judge, Navindra Singh, had ordered a new election on December 18 after the election of office-bearers of the Berbice Cricket Board at its annual general meeting and elections in October was declared “unlawful, null, void, and of no legal effect as the entire election process was fundamentally flawed, unfair and undemocratic.”
The judge had said that the new elections will be held this January on a date to be fixed by him.

The case had been filed by the Guymine Sports Club, the Fort Canje Hospital Club and the Mount Sinai Cricket Club; who all argued that the elections were null and void because it contravened Schedule III of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act.
The applicants are of the opinion that the entire election process had been “fundamentally flawed, unfair and undemocratic,” and that the office-bearers could not have been properly elected.

The respondents were successful in seeking a declaration that their exclusion, as well as that of the Rose Hall Community Centre and the Kildonan Cricket Clubs, from the elections, also violated Schedule III of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act.
Among the more than 20 grounds on which their application was drawn, the respondents sought a declaration that the attendance, voting and participation of persons purporting to represent them were unlawful and contrary to Act.
Amid the number of declarations also being sought by the applicants was for the court to pronounce unlawful (which it did) the purported nomination of Drubahadur as Returning Officer for the said elections.

The applicants had argued that his nomination was not put to a vote of the member-clubs present at the said elections.
The court further declared that the decision by Drubahadur to close nominations for the post of President of the Berbice Cricket Board, immediately after Dhierandranauth Somwaru was nominated, was “manifestly unfair, thereby rendering the election process undemocratic and against the rules of fairness.”
A further declaration was made that Drubahadur’s refusal to accept other nominations for the post of President was also unfair.

In his ruling, Justice Singh ordered that a list of all eligible representatives of the clubs and associations listed in Schedule III, Section 4 of the Act, be submitted to the court by today.
It was also ordered that the representatives to be submitted to the court shall, after verification and approval by the court, be the delegates who will represent the clubs and associations in the new election for office-bearers.
Additionally, the judge has ordered all clubs and associations intending to participate in the next elections, to pay their annual dues no later than January 16.
Justice Singh has noted that his orders are not intended, and should not be construed as hindering, or affecting the general administration of cricket in the County of Berbice, pending new elections.