GECOM has power to proceed with recount

The Guyana Court of Appeal yesterday cleared the way for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to proceed with a recount of the ballots cast in the March 2nd general and regional elections but emphasised that GECOM cannot delegate its supervisory authority to any other body.

In a two to one decision, the Appeal Court allowed a sliver of APNU+AFC candidate Ulita Moore’s appeal and ruled that GECOM has the authority to do a recount of ballots but cannot accord  this power to any other body as appeared to have been suggested in a GECOM press release which said that a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) team would “supervise” the recount.

While a portion of Moore’s appeal was allowed, President of the Court of Appeal panel,  Justice Dawn Gregory ruled that the matter would not be remitted to Justice Franklyn Holder’s court since the Appeal Court had already examined the matter.