…Returning Officer to restart tabulation of SOPs by 11:00hrs on Thursday

Chief Justice Roxane George on Wednesday ruled that that declaration of a results for District Four of the last Monday’s regional and general elections were unlawful.

In her ruling, the Chief Justice ruled that the declaration by Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo was in breach of Section 84:1 of the Representation of the Peoples Act.

The Chief Justice in her ruling ordered that the SOPs used by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) are the official documents to be used in the process and she also declared that the method of tabulation of the SOPs lies within the discretion of the Returning Officer.

She ordered that only the Returning Officer can determine what method can be used in the tabulation of the SOPs. It will be up to the Returning Officer to decide whether to continue the process from where they left off last week in tabulation of the SOPs or restart.

As she summed up her ruling the Chief Justice said that staff of GECOM are human and must be treated with civility.

Oral arguments in the case – Reeaz Holladar vs the Returning Officer; the Chief Elections officer and GECOM – were heard on Tuesday in the High Court by the Chief Justice.

Holladar, through the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic , sought to have the SOPs recounted in the presence of agents from the various political parties and observers.

After the final results are declared by GECOM, the Chairman of the Elections Commission, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh would then write the Chancellor of the Judiciary, Yonette Cummings-Edwards for a President to be sworn-in.