The High Court has set next Thursday—October 22nd for the case management conference (CMC) for the hearing of the election petitions filed by the main Opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) challenging the results of the March 2nd polls.
According to a press release from the Party, its attorneys are in receipt of official correspondence from acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, informing that the CMC which will be conducted virtually has been set for next Thursday before her.
The APNU+AFC said in its release that it was deeply concerned by “what appeared to be some sloth” in the hearing of its petitions and is pleased that the date for the CMC has been set; while adding that the Opposition Coalition looks forward to their early hearing.
The Coalition has filed two petitions challenging the results of the March 2nd General and Regional elections which saw the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) winning the seat of government.
The results of a national recount of all ballots cast showed that it was the PPP/C which had won the elections with 233,336 votes over the 217,920 which the coalition managed to secure.
The Opposition wants the court to determine among other things, questions regarding whether the elections have been lawfully conducted or whether the results have been, or may have been affected by any unlawful act or omission and in consequence thereof, whether the seats in the National Assembly have been lawfully allocated.
They depose through their attorneys that the elections were unlawfully conducted and/or that its result, “(if lawfully conducted)” were affected or might have been affected by unlawful acts or omissions and that what was therefore declared by the GECOM in pursuance of Section 99 of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) was not lawfully conducted.
They also want the court to specifically order the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to declare its Presidential Candidate, David Granger, and “the duly-elected President of Guyana in accordance with Article 177 of the Constitution” and to nullify the outcome of the polls and to declare President Irfaan Ali to be illegally holding office.
