Warning that the ruling by Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George SC to uphold the appointment of Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman Justice (retd) James Patterson could see more unilateral installments by the head of state, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Friday said it would appeal the decision.
The judge’s ruling was made on an application by PPP Executive Secretary Zulfikar Mustapha, who challenged the constitutionality of the appointment, which was made by President David Granger last October.
In her ruling on Friday, Justice George, although finding that the President should have given reasons for his rejection of the nominees submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, dismissed the challenge as wholly misconceived. “I hold that there is nothing before this Court to permit a finding that the President acted unlawfully or irrationally in resorting to the proviso to Article 161(2), or to rebut the presumption that Justice Patterson is qualified to be appointed to the post of Chairman of GECOM,” she ruled.