Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield has asked the High Court to strike out the elections petition filed by the opposition PPP/C’s Ganga Persaud, saying it is “materially defective” because it fails to establish any grounds to vitiate the polls.
In an affidavit in support of summons filed by his attorney Roysdale Forde, Lowenfield asks that the petition, dated June 24th, be struck out and argues that the substantive submissions disclose no reasonable cause of action, and are frivolous and vexatious.
Lowenfield argues further that some of the submission are in breach of the Representation of the People Act, which prohibits the deliberations of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) and communications between commissioners regarding its business from being admissible in court.
In his affidavit, Lowenfield says he believes that the statements in Persaud’s petition are “insufficient” to establish a cause of action and that the “absence of material facts” results in no foundation being laid for grounds to vitiate the elections.
Referring to specific provisions of paragraph 8 of the petition,