Efforts being made to hold DCB elections

Arudranauth Gossai
Arudranauth Gossai

The legal battle regarding the elections of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) appeared before Justice Navindra Singh earlier this month.

The move was made by the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB), Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDCA) with West Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA) and East Bank Cricket Association (EBCA) listed in the documentation as the other factions of the Demerara County.

According to Attorney-At-Law Arudranauth Gossai, who is representing the three associations who have filed the petition, the DCB has not held an election in over eight years and it is through this petition that they seek to hold the elections.

Roger Harper

According to GCA President, Roger Harper, the petition was filed by a ‘majority’ in the Demerara County that is the ECCB, GCA and UDCA.

A source close to the issue related that this action was calling on the two boards listed in the action to submit their delegates for the elections of the DCB while asking the court to affix a date and a Returning Officer for the elections.

The court has so far ordered that the respondents be served on the matter and a response was filed on their behalf by their attorney Roysdale Forde.

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) recently named an Ombudsman and according to a source the move is in an effort to stage elections of the GCB.

According to the Guyana Cricket Administration Act 2014 Chapter 21:03, the Ombudsman’s duty is to verify clubs. Harper indicated that they will seek to host the elections on the precedent that the Berbice Cricket Board had set by hosting its elections without the appointment of a Cricket Ombudsman.   An order was passed in the court to hold the BCB elections under the supervision of a Court Marshal back in March of this year where Hilbert Foster was elected to the post of President of the GCB. Meanwhile, the functions of the Ombudsman had stipulated to the verification of clubs. As such, it was argued that the Ombudsman duty was to be done before elections can be conducted.

The matter is expected to be heard on May 25.