PPP/C, APNU+AFC differ on outcome of Court of Appeal ruling on valid votes

Claudette Singh

Following a decision of the Appeal Court yesterday both the incumbent APNU+AFC Coalition and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) have called on the Elections Commission to make a declaration of the results of the March 2 polls. The two parties however disagreed on what those results are.

By a majority of 2 to 1 the Court ruled that the words “more votes are cast” as per Article 177 (2) (b) of the Constitution of Guyana should be interpreted to mean “more valid votes are cast” in keeping with the definition of valid votes as outlined in Order 60 of 2020 (Recount Order). 

The interpreted Article now provides that “a Presidential candidate shall be deemed to have been elected as President and shall be so declared by the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission— if more valid votes are cast in favour of the list in which he is designated as Presidential candidate than in favour of any other list.”