GECOM Chair cites legal restraint in reply to Jagdeo request for restart of Region Four verification

Claudette Singh

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Saturday wrote GECOM Chair Claudette Singh demanding the resumption of verification of the Region Four voting at Monday’s general elections but the chair replied yesterday and said that the matter was sub judice.

Jagdeo’s letter of March 7 sought to have the Guy-ana Elections Commission (GECOM) restart verification of the Region Four vote, the curtailment of which by the Returning Officer has plunged the country into crisis and attracted widespread international criticism. Jagdeo had been hoping that the verification would proceed without prejudice to the legal proceedings filed by lawyers for the PPP seeking a judicial order that the Region Four verification be done.

Chief Justice Roxane George who is hearing the case yesterday ruled that she had jurisdiction in the matter and the substantive case will begin tomorrow.