PPP denies inserting fake SOPs
…to press ahead with elections petition
People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee has expressed satisfaction in the recent ruling by Chief Justice, Ian Chang to the effect that the High Court should proceed with the Elections Petition filed by the PPP to challenge the results of the May 11, 2015 Regional and General Elections.
Calling it a triumph of justice, Rohee also dismissed recent suggestions by Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally that the fake Statements of Poll were possibly inserted by those who emerged the losers and who had the most to lose. He had also stated that GECOM still had those fake SOPs, which told the sordid story.
“We will not be bothered by Surujbally’s claim,” Rohee said, casting asperations on its soundness. “I don’t know how PPP people could get their hands on fake Statements of Poll. Where is the evidence? He has to attest to his claim.”
“The PPP will press ahead,” Rohee continued. “Surujbally is not the Judge and the Jury in this matter. He is free to express his opinion, but we are also free to express ours. So the court will proceed with the hearing of the substantive petition.”
The interlocutory applications (Summonses) had been issued to determine whether the Court should proceed with the substantive matters relative to the Elections Petition; in other words, to dismiss the Elections Petition.
“The Party views the ruling as a triumph of justice for the Guyanese electorate and looks forward with great anticipation to the commencement of the proceedings on the substantive Elections Petition.”
Rohee was also asked whether the majority of the claims in the elections petition did not represent hearsay evidence, which was not applicable in court. Rohee made it clear that he did not agree with this view. However, he noted that the final Judge of the matter will be the court.
“(The court) will determine whether it was hearsay,” he said.
Mere weeks before he officially retires as Chief Justice (Ag), Ian Chang, returned to the bench and overruled the summons to strike out the Elections Petition filed on behalf of the People’s Progressive Party, challenging the results of the General and Regional Elections last June.
Chang expected to officially retire at the end of this month.
The petition was filed on behalf of Opposition Member of Parliament, Ganga Persaud. In the petition, the applicant (Persaud), who was appointed Elections Agent on the List of Candidates for the PPP/C, claimed that the elections were “unlawfully conducted” and that the results of the elections was affected or might have been affected by unlawful acts or omissions.
According to the document, Persaud named the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, and leaders of the eight political parties which contested the last elections, as respondents in the matter.
Lowenfield, through his Attorney, Roysdale Forde, had subsequently filed a summons to strike out the petition. Forde had contended that sufficient material facts have not been provided in the petition challenging the recently concluded elections.
The Attorney held that the petition is frivolous and vexatious. He requested that the elections petition be struck out on the grounds that sections of the petition failed to disclose reasonable cause of action.
