Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams has mandated that the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) along with the Cricket Stakeholders, meet 11:30am tomorrow in an effort to resolve several issues which have been plaguing the sport for some time now.
News of the development came just as the stakeholders were about to conclude a press conference at the Malteenoes Sports Club Pavilion, aimed at informing the public of the actions that will be taken following Monday’s protest outside Williams’ office.
Claude Raphael, of the Cricket Stakeholders group, who broke the news said: “I was invited to a meeting at 1:00 pm today [Wednesday] at the Attorney General’s office and he had his Solicitor General with him and another lawyer who indicated that he was looking after the matter.
“The matter of the challenge of the Cricket Administration Act by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB); he [Attorney General] has informed me that the matter has been deemed as abandoned, the way is clear now for us to have elections and he says that since June 16th this government made representation to have the matter resolved and it has been before Justice [Nareshwar] Harnanan.”
The move, according to Raphael, stemmed from the GCB’s failure to file a statement of claim after the injunction of former Chief Justice, Ian Chang was granted.
This prompted Williams and his group to take action.
Raphael also informed that Minister of Education, who holds the responsibility for sports, Nicolette Henry, will also attend the meeting in an effort to aid in having the issue resolved.
But the matter may be prolonged as according to the Cricket Administration Act, the Ombudsman and the Minister responsible for Sport are the ones who have to set a date for the elections.
However, Guyana does not have an Ombudsman.
That issue, however, along with other pressing concerns, according to Raphael, will be discussed with the government representatives. The meeting came at a time when the stakeholders threatened further protest actions after Monday’s picketing exercise outside Williams’ Carmichael Street, Georgetown office.
Meanwhile, Mark Harper, a members of the Cricket Stakeholders group, said that he disagreed with meeting the Attorney General and the GCB at the said time adding that he felt that it was wise for the two groups to meet with the Attorney General separately.
“I don’t see the wisdom in us meeting with the proposed GCB at the same time. I don’t see the wisdom in that. I think the meeting should be separate,” Harper said.
