The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has advised that it will convene a full hearing of all matters associated with the appeal by Bharrat Jagdeo and Irfaan Ali of yesterday’s decision by the Guyana Court of Appeal, sources say.
The appeal by Jagdeo and Ali was lodged today to the Court of Appeal ruling which sought to assert that the word “valid” has to be used to determine the votes cast for the purposes of the election of a President.
The insertion of this word `valid’ has seen Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield today presenting a report to the Guyana Elections Commission striking off tens of thousands of votes as invalid and handing victory to APNU+AFC contrary to the results of the recount of the votes from the March 2nd general elections.
Sources say that the CCJ has advised that no later than tomorrow it will issue an order preserving the status quo and ordering the holding of a case management conference on Thursday, June 25th. This would be followed by a full hearing of all matters in dispute. The CCJ will also have to establish that it can hear this matter in light of views that the decision of Court of Appeal is final and cannot be appealed.
Jagdeo and Ali have asked for an expedited hearing.
The CCJ this evening issued the following press release:
CCJ ISSUES ORDER TO THE GUYANA ELECTIONS COMMISSION TO ENSURE FAIR HEARING
Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) this afternoon issued an Order requiring the Guyana Elections Commission and its officers and agents to take no step to prejudice the fair hearing of an Application made to the Court by Mohammed Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo.
The steps prohibit, including but not limited to, declaring the results of the Guyana elections held on 2nd March 2020 until the CCJ issued final orders following the hearing and determination of the questions raised before it in the said Application.
Counsel for Ali and Jagdeo had applied to the Court today, Tuesday 23rd June 2020, for Special Leave to appeal against a decision of the Court of Appeal of Guyana delivered on Monday 22nd June 2020. The CCJ has ordered that all Respondents to the Application acknowledge service of the said Application by 4:00 pm on Wednesday 24th June 2020. A Case Management Conference on the matter filed is to be held on Thursday 25th June 2020 at 3:00 pm via video conference with a view to a proposed hearing on Wednesday 1st July 2020 at 10:00 am to determine the issues raised in the Application, also to be heard via video conference in light of the global Coronavirus pandemic
