One day after the Caribbean Court of Justice ruled that the President’s unilateral appointment of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission was “flawed”, President Granger wants the Court to identify the flaw.
Speaking to reporters at his office this morning, the President maintained that he acted within the Constitution on the appointment of a Chairman of the Elections Commission. He has however, indicated that he will be respecting the ruling of the Court.
The President said “I have never gone outside of the Constitution and if they felt that the process is flawed, they must let me know what the flaw is. Let us wait until the 24th June when they will make some consequential rulings. There is no way that I can see that the decisions I have taken are flawed”.
The case was taken to the Caribbean Court of Justice by the Leader of the Opposition after both the High Court and the Court of Appeal in Guyana found that the President was within his right to appoint the GECOM Chairman on his own after not being provided with a candidate that is not unacceptable to him.
The CCJ has thrown out the lower Court rulings and has indicated that the President’s move was outside of the Constitution.
In a summary of the decision, CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders said the Court reviewed what transpired between 22 November 2016 and 19 November 2017 and determined that the President was not entitled to lay down, as a precondition to considering a nominee, eligibility requirements that were additional to or at variance with those prescribed
by the Constitution.
The President has since indicated that he will the Leader of the Opposition before the end of this week so that the two could resume consultations on the appointment of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission.
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