PPP lawyer Anil Nandlall via a letter today has threatened to institute Contempt of Court proceedings against Region 4 Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo over his failure to comply with several court orders issued by Chief Justice Roxane George yesterday. In the missive seen by this publication, Nandlall contends that Mingo has once again breached Sections 84 (1) and 86 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, as it relates to the vote verification process for Region 4.
According to Nandlall, he was informed that just after 11:00hrs today, that the vote verification process commenced at Mingo’s Office, but in violation of the court order he refused to ascertain and add up the votes recorded in favour of the List of Candidates in accordance with the Statement of Polls (SoPs).
Instead, Nandlall pointed out that Mingo chose to use a pre-prepaid spreadsheet, as the basis for ascertain and adding up the said votes. Further, Nandlall said that he was instructed that none of the party’s duly appointed candidates for electoral district number 4 were permitted to be present for the exercise. The party’s duly appointed candidates are Nandlall, Frank Anthony, Vindya Persaud, Indranie Chanderpal, Neendkumar, Shyon Nokta, May Thomas, Susan Rodrigues and Hugh Todd.
The party’s lawyer writes, “The above constitutes a flagrant violation of the Order of the Honourable Chief Justice and I hereby give you and all persons carbon copied herein notice that I have been instructed to file contempt of court proceedings in respect to these violations, as well as any otherwise, which may arise or has arisen.”
Nandlall said he wishes to remind Mingo and the others that contempt of court is a criminal offence which attracts punishment and a term of imprisonment and aiding and abetting a contempt carries the same penalty as the contempt itself. Against this backdrop, Nandlall said he is demanding immediate strict compliance with the orders of the Chief Justice.
A copy of the letter has been sent to GECOM’s chairperson, Claudette Singh, Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, as well as the commission’s lawyer, Senior Counsel Neil Boston. This morning Guyana Standard reported that the votes verification process for Region 4 continued, but was however suspended by GECOM’s chairperson, who wanted to get a better understanding of the Chief Justice’s ruling.
