With the Guyana Elections Commission set to debate a motion to remove Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers, and Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo, the Chief Elections Officer is putting up a fight.

Mr. Lowenfield has approached the High Court asking that the Court grants an Order to restrain Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shaddick from participating as adjudicators in hearing the motion for his dismissal.

He also wants to Court to declare that he is entitled to the protection of the rules of natural justice and the right to a fair hearing.

“Article 9 of the contract of employment provide two basis for the termination of the services of the claimant namely by giving three months’ notice or without notice for gross misconduct providing the claimant is given written notice setting out clearly the reason for termination of the contract and giving the claimant an opportunity to respond,” Mr. Lowenfield said through his Attorney Nigel Hughes in court documents.

Mr. Lowenfield is contending that Commissioners Shaddick and Gunraj breached the rules of natural justice when they met to deliberate on how they should proceed to remove him from office after he submitted his ‘show-cause’ letter to the Chairman.

He contends that “the participation of the complainants Gunraj and Shaddick in the deliberation of the respondent in relation to their complaint against the complainant herein infected the deliberations of the Commission with bias”.

Lowenfield further explained in the Court papers that “ the participation of Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shaddick in the hearing of the complaint made by the said commissioners against the complainant is a breach of the implied terms of employment contract in that the complainant was entitled to a fair hearing of his response to ant complaint of gross misconduct made against him.”

The Chairman of the Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh told Commissioners earlier this week that she has decided to move ahead with a debate on the motions brought against the GECOM top officials for their removal.

Lowenfiled, Myers and Mingo are all facing charges in the Court for misconduct in public office related to last year’s elections.

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Gunraj recalls that Lowenfield repeatedly refused to follow GECOM’s orders with results of 2020 elections Lowenfield withdraws Court action seeking to block his dismissal Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo sent on leave; GECOM still to decide on hearing motion for their dismissal GECOM renews Lowenfield’s contract as Chief Elections Officer