By Rajiv Bisnauth

THE Full Court yesterday dismissed the appeal which was filed last Monday to set aside the long overdue Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) elections.
This new development has now paved the way for elections to be held on Friday at 11:00hrs at the Demerara Cricket Club, Queenstown, after High Court Judge Navindra Singh ordered the holding of elections.
Justice Singh’s ruling on Monday now paves the way for a legitimate board for the first time since 2009. His ruling ended over a decade of several Court matters, which have affected the smooth operations at the board level.
In January 2011, an act unprecedented in the history of sports took place with the staging of two elections by the DCB.
The separate elections were held; one by businessman Bissoondyal Singh at the Lusignan Community Centre and the other by Raj Singh at the Wales Community Centre.

Following those elections, the factions failed to recognise the eligibility of each other’s event and this was followed by a number of Court matters, leaving the administration of the board in jeopardy.
However, the five associations affiliated to the DCB were mandated to submit their delegates by yesterday. But Chronicle Sport was reliably informed that the Georgetown Cricket Association, East Coast Cricket Board and Upper Demerara Cricket Association – were in full compliance, providing their list of delegates.
It is unclear if the other two associations with voting rights – East Bank Cricket Association and West Demerara Cricket Association – have provided their list of delegates.

Georgetown Cricket Association, East Coast Cricket Board, East Bank Cricket Association and West Demerara Cricket Association have seven votes each, while Upper Demerara Cricket Association has three, making it a total of 31 votes at the DCB election.
There are two agenda items for Friday’s elections – the Call to Order by a Marshal of the High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature and the nomination and election of a Returning Officer for the conduct of the elections of the members of the Executive Committee of the Demerara Cricket Board.