Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo has filed another application before High Court Judge Franklin Holder.
Unlike the first one in which he is asking the court to nullify the second declaration by Region Four’s Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, in this one, he is asking the court to order the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to forthwith disclose the Statements of Poll (SoPs) for Region 4.
The application was made this afternoon by his lawyers, Trinidad-based Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes and Anil Nandlall. The court will commence hearing arguments in this application tomorrow. Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield and Mingo, have been listed as the Respondents in this case.
Senior Counsel Neil Boston who is representing GECOM, is once again arguing that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain such an application. Boston explained that the correct procedure to be used to bring such an application is through an elections petition pursuant to the relevant electoral laws.
Opposition elections Commissioner, Attorney-at-Law Sase Gunraj is however questioning GECOM’s refusal to disclose the documents. He pointed out that the objections raised by GECOM are very “stringent and almost violent.”
He said that he disagrees with GECOM’s position that the application warrants an elections petition.
Probed by reporters to provide legal basis to substantiate his argument, Gunraj made it clear that he was not one of the lawyers in the case, but is sure they have laid out legal grounds.
In concluding, the lawyer said that as an elections commissioner he has a responsibility to the citizens of Guyana who have innocently participated in the electoral process.
He noted that these citizens have a right to a proper declaration. Gunraj said that the SoPs should be made available to withstand public scrutiny.
