CCJ’s judgement: “We must retake our place as a respected, celebrated democracy” – Ali

…lauds court’s cogent decision

Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has lauded the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) over its “cogent” decision on Wednesday, noting that it has paved the way for Guyana to reclaim its place as a “respected and celebrated” democracy.

The Trinidad-based regional court ruled that Guyana’s Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction to hear the matter filed by APNU/AFC supporter, Eslyn David, much less interpreting “more votes cast” in the Recount Order to mean “more valid votes cast”.
Not only did the CCJ overturn this ruling but also invalidated the fraudulent report submitted by embattled Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in which he disenfranchised over 115,000 votes based on the Appeal Court’s ruling.
Ali and PPP/C’s General Secretary subsequently challenged the decision at the CCJ and were successfully in their appeal.
This decision by the regional court has paved the way for GECOM to move ahead with the anticipated declaration of the March 2 elections results. The 33-day national recount has show the PPP/C with a landslide victory having obtained some 15,416 more votes than its main political rival, the caretaker APNU/AFC Coalition.
Wednesday’s ruling by the CCJ now paves the way for GECOM to make an official declaration of the results of the elections, which were held over four months ago, based on the recount results.
As such in a statement on Wednesday night, Ali said “Each and every one of us has a duty as Guyanese to move Guyana forward and I reaffirm my commitment to all of Guyana to ensure that we retake our place as a respected and celebrated democracy where each and every citizen, regardless of background, can have an equal opportunity to enjoin all that our beautiful country has to offer.”
The PPP/C Presidential Candidate further posited that the CCJ ruling will have far-reaching impact for democracy beyond Guyana.
“[I] salute not only the Court’s judgment but its commitment to free, fair and independent judgments. No doubt the Court’s decision has a far-reaching impact for democracy not only in Guyana, but in the entire Commonwealth. The Court has made Guyana and indeed the entire of Caricom proud in its swift delivery of a clear and cogent judgment,” he stated.
According to Ali, while the Court’s decision will be embraced by many and similarly met with disappointment by others, it cannot be ignored that Guyana currently faces significant economic and health concerns, which requires for everyone to unite as a country to immediately address.
Meanwhile, in his brief missive, the PPP/C Presidential Candidate extended appreciation to the all the new political parties for their commitment to respect the legal process, their participation and legal representation. He also expressed his gratitude to the party’s supporters and well-wishers, as well as the outstanding legal team, which he said acted with considerable alacrity and professionalism in leading the party to this victory and Guyana once more on the path of democracy.
Ali and Jagdeo’s legal team was led by Trinidad-based Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes and comprised of former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, Attorney Devendra Kissoon and Attorney Sanjeev Datadin.