…GECOM lawyer maintains court has no jurisdiction

Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire earlier today adjourned the hearing of an application by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to block the declaration of the results for the 2020 General and Regional Elections, to allow for the filing of supplementary affidavit by the applicant.

The matter will resume at 13:30hrs.

The court will decide whether the motion to block the declaration of the results until the verification process takes place, is valid.

When the case was called at 10:30hrs today (Saturday, March 7), Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall and a battery of Lawyers appeared on behalf of the PPP/C while Senior Counsel Neil Boston and Attorney-at-Law Robin Hunte appeared on behalf of the Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) – the respondents.

Boston, outside of the court, told journalists that such a matter could only be brought by way of an Elections Petition after the results for the General and Regional Elections have been declared.

As such, he said the court has no jurisdiction. Nandlall on the other hand is arguing that the Court must order GECOM to recommence the verification process for the Region 4 votes before a declaration is made.