PPP commends GECOM Chair for upholding Constitution
…anxiously awaiting swearing-in of Irfaan Ali as 9th President
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has lauded the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh, for upholding the Constitution in her recent landmark decision to use the results from the National Recount for a final declaration of the March 2 General and Regional Elections.
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On Tuesday, the GECOM Chair directed Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield to prepare a final report using the recount results, in keeping with Section 96 of the Representation of the People Act Chapter 1:03; thereby paving the way for the official declaration of the Election’s Results and the subsequent swearing in of PPP/C’s Dr Irfaan Ali as the ninth Executive President of Guyana.
The 34-day National Recount confirmed a landslide victory for the PPP/C, which secured 15,416 votes more than its main political rival, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Coalition.
According to the PPP/C in a statement, Tuesday’s decision is in line with its earlier position that GECOM is not a court of law, therefore it has no jurisdiction to hear allegations of irregularities. In any case, the party noted, these claims have been totally discredited by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) team of scrutineers, which also reiterated that aggrieved parties can seek redress by way of an election petition to the court.
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“The Commission agreed that GECOM has no jurisdiction to annul an election, since no such power was conferred on it under Article 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution. The PPP wishes to commend the GECOM Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh, for standing on the side of the rule of law and upholding the Constitution of Guyana,” the missive detailed.
The Party also congratulated President-elect Irfaan Ali, and noted that it “anxiously awaits” his swearing in as the ninth Executive President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
“The move towards a speedy transition to a democratically elected government will allow our nation to focus on the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, unemployment, and issues related to the economy, among others,” the PPP/C asserted.
Ready
Over the past week, Ali, during a local radio programme named ‘Room 592’, indicated that he was ready to take the reins of office and lead Guyana.
“I’m not nervous…I’m ready! Our team is ready! And we’re ready to move forward with a broadened approach, a widened approach, a collective approach in building this country,” he posited.
Vindicated in its struggles
Meanwhile, PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday evening told party supporters that while the party has been vindicated in its struggles, they need to stay claim and not disparage supporters from the other side.
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