GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Oct. 22, CMC – Guyana’s acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, will on November 24, commence hearing arguments on preliminary issues raised in the two election petitions filed by the main Opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) which is challenging the results of the March 2nd polls.
The announcement was made during a case management conference (CMC) on Thursday afternoon.
While a date for the commencement of trial was not set during the conference, the Court will meet again next month, to hear an application on behalf of the 4th respondent and again on November 26 and 30 to hear brief oral submissions in an application to be filed by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s Attorney Douglas Mendes.
The Trinidadian Senior Counsel is contending that Jagdeo, who is named as a respondent, was not properly served the petitions.
He said the Court has to be satisfied that sufficient actions were taken to serve the respondent.
Mendes said this was not done and Jagdeo was not served making the entire petition a nullity.
There was also an observation by the Chief Justice that former President David Granger was served late.
The former president was served on September 25 although he should have been served five business days after the petition was filed on September 15.
During the almost two-hour virtual conference, parties to the proceedings were told that all applications to the Court must be filed and served by November 20, while applications for elections documents must be filed on or before December 4.
The APNU+AFC filed its first elections petition on August 31m officially challenging the outcome of the March 2 elections and the recount exercise from which the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) emerged victorious.
A second petition was field subsequently on September 15, 2020 also challenging the March elections.
The APNU+AFC is challenging the legitimacy of the elections report which led to Dr. Irfaan Ali being sworn in as President.
The Coalition also wants the Supreme Court, after hearing its petition, to cancel the March 2 polls – and order fresh polls within 90 days.
