Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon yesterday rejected the High Court’s dismissal of Elections Petition 88 of 2020 and declared APNU+AFC’s intention to appeal.
“We must and will lodge an appeal against this atrocious decision of the High Court. We must appeal this at every level until justice is delivered to us,” Harmon declared.
Chief Justice (acting) Roxane George having found that the recount order and section 22 of the election laws act did not contravene the constitution threw out the petition brought by APNU+AFC challenging the results of the March 2nd 2020 general elections.
The coalition had argued through Senior Counsel John Jeremie that Section 22 of the Election Laws Amendment Act (ELAA) by which the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) created Order 60 for the recount of votes from the March 2nd, polls was unlawful.
His position was challenged by attorneys for the respondents who, in rebutting his submissions, said that the Commission was in fact empowered by the very Act, to resolve the difficulties with which it had been confronted.
The Opposition had filed two petitions challenging the election results. Back in January, however, Justice George-Wiltshire dismissed the other petition after finding that the Party’s presidential candidate David Granger was not served on time.
In a statement which Attorney General Anil Nandlall yesterday described as disgraceful, Harmon said “This is a clear attempt to protect the installed PPP regime from scrutiny and from being removed from government where they have no right being…this decision is not about justice, this is not about the people of Guyana, this is not about what is right, this is not about democracy, this is not about you. It is about protecting the status quo – no matter how corrupt that status quo is,” the lawyer-turned- politician stated.
He went on to repeat discredited claims of widespread irregularities on Election Day stressing that the whole world saw that the elections “were flawed and fraudulent.”
He advanced the opinion that the opposition’s case was “well presented and airtight”
“Their case was solid but the system ruled against them as it ruled against us,” he said of the Coalition’s lawyers.
Asked to respond to Harmon’s claims Nandlall reacted with disgust.
“This man has no shame…that is a disgraceful and demented outburst from a politician who has failed his constituency and who is groping thin air for survival. He continues to instill false hope in his supporters subjecting them to mental anguish and psychological abuse,” he lamented.
Responding to the Opposition Leader’s claim that the world saw that Elections 2020 were fraudulent, Nandlall said the world witnessed the fraud that occurred during those elections and 100 countries condemned APNU+AFC over it.
“He continues to parrot and fabricate allegations of irregularity but when required to defend these allegations in a tribunal they have failed to do so. First by not adhering to procedure and then by failing to produce evidence. Against that backdrop a competent impartial judiciary is bound to dismiss the petition,” the AG contended.
He expressed concern over the attack on the judiciary contained in the statement noting that as a lawyer Harmon should know better.
“This kind of contempt and debasing of the judiciary is a frontal attack on its independence and must be condemned,” he said.
In the statement, the Opposition Leader said that his party has continuously called on their people to keep the peace, to remain calm and to uphold the law before declaring that because of yesterday’s ruling they will be “held responsible for the reaction of the victimized, disenfranchised and marginalized masses.”
“We must continue to be resilient and stand firm against injustice…our struggle is just and righteous and the struggle must continue…We will continue to fight and we wish to make it clear that all options remain open to us,” Harmon concluded.
Nandlall questioned what exactly is meant when Harmon says APNU+AFC would not be responsible for the actions of its supporters.
“He is telling them to run amok…rather than respect the Court. If everyone takes such a stance after these lose a case it would be chaos,” he posited, reminding that only last week Justice George ruled against government in the case of the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries and was hailed by the Opposition.
He reiterated that if Harmon and the coalition continue to assert that elections were rigged and the results were fraudulent it will make them irrelevant and unable to be an effective Opposition.
“At this rate the APNU will remain in Opposition for decades so let them continue,” he said.
