NEWS
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FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, June 26 – 09:00h-10:30h and Saturday, June 27 – 09:30h-11:00h. The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, June 26 – 07:35h-09:05h and Saturday, June 27 – 08:25h-09:55h.
GECOM restrained from declaring results – CCJ orders
…preliminary and substantive arguments set for July 1 – Lowenfield a no-show despite being served
FERRY SCHEDULE Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily
WEATHER TODAY
Light rain showers will prevail into the midafternoon hours, interrupted by thundery showers in the mid morning until noon. Cloudy conditions are expected for the rest of the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies and light rain showers are expected in the evening. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius. Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 3.57 metres. High Tide: 08:09h and 20:47h reaching maximum heights of 2.53 metres and 2.42 metres. Low Tide: 14:15h reaching a minimum height of 0.69 metre.
COMMODITIES Indicators
US$
Change %
Crude Oil
$41.05/barrel
+1.80
Rough Rice
$222.084 /ton
- 0.30
London Sugar
$356.60/ton
- 0.03
Live Spot Gold
USD Per Ounce
Bid/Ask
$1762.10
$1763.10
Low/High
$1755.00
$1771.10
Change
- 3.10
- 0.18%
PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo
PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali
CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders
Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield
he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Thursday made it clear that its order restraining the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from taking any steps to prejudice the fair hearing of the appeal filed by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) remains in effect until the hearing and determination of the matter. This was reaffirmed by CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders during the virtual case management hearing on Thursday. PPP/C’s Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali and PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo, through a battery of lawyers led by Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes and including Attorneys Anil Nandlall, Devindra Kissoon and Sanjeev Datadin among others, had approached the Trinidad-based regional court on Tuesday for special leave to challenge a decision of Guyana’s Court of Appeal, which asserted jurisdiction and ruled in the Eslyn David matter on Monday that “more votes cast” means “more valid votes cast” in the context of the recount order. The PPP/C is contending that the Appeal Court’s pronouncements have “plunged the law in total confusion and it is now no longer clear how an election of members of the National Assembly is to be challenged and how the election of the President can be challenged”. To this end, the Party secured an order from the CCJ on Tuesday restraining GECOM and its officers from taking any steps to prejudice the fair hearing of the matter, including but not limited to issuing a declaration of the results from the March 2 elections. As such, Justice Saunders reminded the various parties on Thursday that the court order would remain in effect until the matter was determined. “The order that was given on [Tuesday] that the status quo is to be maintained until the court gives its decision in this matter. We will naturally endeavour to give our decision in as timelier a manner as is possible, but until we do so, the status quo is to remain as it is on the ground,” the CCJ President reaffirmed. During Thursday’s case management conference, the
Court established timelines for the various parties to make their submissions ahead of a marathon hearing set for next Wednesday, July 1, 2020 commencing at 09:00h. The applicants, who are represented by SC Mendes, were given up to 09:00h on Saturday to file their submissions and the respondents will have until 16:00h on Sunday to respond. The applicants were then given until 09:00h on Tuesday to file their reply – one day before the Court hears oral submissions. Among the respondents in the case are: A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) supporter Eslyn David, who is represented by a legal team led by Senior Counsel John Jeremie; Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield; GECOM Chair, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, represented by Attorney-at-Law Kim Kyte-Thomas; Attorney General Basil Williams, who appeared in person, and representatives from the newer political parties – the
joinder parties (A New and United Guyana, Liberty and Justice Party and The New Movement) represented by Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran as well as Change Guyana and The Citizen Initiative, represented by Attorney Kashir Khan – that contested the March 2 polls. At Thursday’s session, the CCJ added the APNU/AFC and the United Republican Party as interested parties in
the case.
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Lowenfield’s absence
Notably, however, CEO Lowenfield was unrepresented in the proceedings on Thursday as was the case during the Appeal Court matter last week. In fact, SC Mendes indicated to the CCJ panel that steps were taken to notify the CEO of the proceedings. TURN TO PAGE 8
