CCJ says President, Opposition Leader must act urgently on new GECOM Chair

David Granger

Saying that there is no need to issue directions given the resignation of Justice James Patterson from the post of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) yesterday urged President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to ensure the urgent appointment of a replacement.

“The need to issue consequential orders and directions in this case has been rendered largely unnecessary because we understand that the GECOM Chairman has voluntarily resigned his office since the delivery of our judgment on 18 June 2019. It is now a matter of the greatest public importance that the President and the Leader of the Opposition should, as soon as possible, embark upon and conclude the process of appointing a new GECOM Chairman. This imperative is now of the utmost urgency in light of our decision in the no confidence motion cases that the motion was validly passed thereby triggering the need for fresh general elections,” the judgment, which was read by President of the Court, Justice Adrian Saunders, said.