The Guyana Cricket Administration Act has been restored

The Guyana Cricket Administration Act has been restored

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) may soon hold elections following the Tuesday morning Court of Appeal ruling in which the Guyana Cricket Administration Act (GCAA) has been restored.
Visibly elated and relieved at this development, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, announced earlier on Tuesday the upholding of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act (GCAA) Chapter 21:03, which was passed in 2014 and was subjected to numerous court cases in the ensuing years.
“I’m happy to announce that in relation to cricket and movement of cricket administration today, that the Court of Appeal just ruled that the order that was made by the single judge and chambers to suspend the major parts of the Cricket Administration Act, that order was discharged, so that means the Cricket Administration Bill and Act is now fully enforced once again,” Ramson shared via virtual engagement.
The Act was challenged in 2014 through a Fixed Date Application (FDA), and in 2018 in the High Court before and appeal by the GCB et al was taken to the Court of Appeal.
While the proceedings were going on, the Court had ordered that the then Guyana Cricket Board could act in the interim as the GCB, until the matter was concluded.
“It also means that the original board that was there prior to the Cricket Administration Act, they were the ones that the court had ordered in the interim could act as the Guyana Cricket Board. That order has now been set aside, so that situation no longer exists,” the Sport Minister explained.
Now, with the reinstatement of the Act, both the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) may have to await the Minister’s consultation with Cricket West Indies before an election can be held, as provided for in Chapter 21:03.
The Act reads, “17. The Minister, after meaningful consultation with the West Indies Cricket Board, shall,
(a) be responsible for the appointment of a Cricket Ombudsman, who shall be responsible for the verification of the Register of Clubs and for performing the functions of Returning Officer for the first election of the membership of the Guyana Cricket Board,
(b) have no part to play in respect to the holding of subsequent elections of the said cricket board and the election and the appointment of the Ombudsman.
18. Subsequent elections to the Guyana Cricket Board shall be held in accordance with the provision of this act (Sections 7 and 8) and subsequent elections of the Ombudsman shall be held in accordance with Section 10.
“The next step for us is that we’re going to have the Demerara Cricket Board election, and then shortly thereafter, the Guyana Cricket Board elections,” Ramson declared.
Explaining the severity of what had transpired over the years, Minister Ramson shared a little background on how the act came to be set aside by the powers that be.
“Even though the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill was passed with support of the members of the APNU, they then turned around, with the then Attorney General Basil Williams and George Norton, had consented with the Attorney representing the Guyana cricket Board, Roysdale Forde, had consented to the suspension of the provisions of the Act,” he relayed.
Every original provision of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act (GCAA) Chapter 21:03 has now been restored.
Ramson said, “I’m happy to say that there’s significant movement in relation to cricket administration in Guyana, and the provisions which were set aside or suspended have now been restored.”