Justice Winston Patterson yesterday ordered that a Rule Nisi be directed to the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA) to show cause why their intended District Association elections should not be prohibited.

The association has been given 14 days by the court to file an affidavit in response; the matter has been adjourned to May 25. The applicants in the matter are rice miller Turhane Doerga and Jinnah Rahman.

The court yesterday ordered a Rule Nisi (an order “to show cause”) be issued to the GRPA to show cause why a Writ of Certiorari should not be issued to quash the list of names constituting the nomination of candidates purportedly made for the posts of Members of the Committee of the District Association, No. 8 and No. 9; and the register of rice producers of the afore mentioned districts and/or all GRPA District Associations.

Further, the GRPA will be served a Rule Nisi to give reason why a Writ of Prohibition should not be issued to prohibit the intended elections by the committees of its various District Associations.
They have also been ordered by Justice Patterson to show cause why a Writ of Mandamus should not be issued to command that the GRPA’s District Associations “complete and prepare genuine and accurate register of Rice Producers in each District Association” as stipulated by the Guyana Rice Producers Regulations under the GRPA Act, Chapter 69:01 of the Laws of Guyana.

The GRPA is also to present reasons why another Writ of Mandamus should not be issued to command them to “complete and prepare genuine and accurate register of Rice Producers in each District Association and to hold genuine Elections” of the committees in all District Associations.

A recent decrease in local paddy prices paid by millers to farmers resulted in the surfacing of the group G/RPA Action Committee. Rahman and a number of farmers have made various several challenges.