Jagdeo claims President never requested reasons for rejection of Top Judicial Nominees

When questioned about his reasons for not agreeing with the nomination of Justice Kenneth Benjamin and Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Jagdeo said he would prefer not to deal with constitutional matters based on press reports. 

Jagdeo claims President never requested reasons for rejection of Top Judicial Nominees

One day after President David Granger stated that the Opposition Leader should indicate the process he used for rejecting the nominees for Chancellor and Chief Justice, the Opposition Leader has stated that the President has never made such a request of him.

At his weekly press conference this afternoon, Jagdeo said the President never asked him to justify his rejection of the two nominees for the top judicial posts.

When questioned about his reasons for not agreeing with the nomination of Justice Kenneth Benjamin and Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Jagdeo said he would prefer not to deal with constitutional matters based on press reports.

“I don’t conduct business, constitutional matters based on what I read in the newspapers. There is a process for this matter…I wrote the President, he sent me the list and I said I don’t support and he has not responded to be in writing”, Jagdeo said.

President David Granger told reporters yesterday that a transparent and legitimate process was used to come up with the nominees for the top two judicial posts. He said while Jagdeo did not offer his support for the nominees, he has not indicated his reasons for rejecting the two Judges.

“I did not pull the names out of the sky. It is within his rights to not accept, but I have a process. The process is transparent and legitimate and he has not told me what his process was in rejecting it. But I am confident that my process produced the best candidates and I am prepared to stand by my candidates”, the President said.

Mr. Granger said if the Opposition Leader could show that he had a similar process that was used to justify the rejection of the nominees, then it might be something to consider.

Under the Constitution, there must be agreement between the President and Opposition Leader on the appointments of a Chancellor and Chief Justice.

Article 127 (1) of the Constitution states that the Chancellor and Chief Justice shall be appointed by the President, acting after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition.

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