APNU+AFC candidate gets injunction to block CARICOM vote recount

High Court judge Franklyn Holder has granted an injunction restraining the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from authorising a recount of ballots cast at the March 2 elections based on the agreement between President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.

The interim injunction, which was among four granted yesterday afternoon, effectively places a halt on any attempts at a recount of the ballots cast at the regional and general elections.

An independent high-level team from CARICOM had flown-in over the weekend to supervise the recount of ballots due to controversy over the tabulation of the votes cast for Region Four, which opposition parties as well as international and local observers say was not done in a transparent manner.

As a result of the court order, the team has since indicated that it would be withdrawing from the recount process, which had been due to begin since Monday.

The judge granted the applicant, Ulita Grace Moore, a regional candidate at the polls for APNU+AFC, injunctions restraining GECOM, its Chairperson and the Chief Election Officer from permitting or authorising any person or persons pursuant to any agreement between the president and opposition leader and/or any agreement between GECOM and CARICOM to count or recount any ballots cast by electors until an application for judicial review is heard.

The judge also granted an interim injunction restraining GECOM from setting aside or varying results already declared by the respective Returning Officers (ROs) of the 10 electoral Districts in the March 2nd elections until a determination of her application for judicial review.

The judge also granted an injunction restraining Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield from submitting any report of the total votes cast for each list of candidates pursuant to Section 96 (1) and (2) of the Representation of the People Act, save and except the votes counted and the information provided by the RO under Section 84 (1), until Moore’s application for judicial review is fully heard an determined.

Moore, who is also seeking any other order the court may deem just to grant as well as court costs, is being represented by attorneys Roger Yearwood and Mayo Robertson.

GECOM Chairperson Claudette Singh, Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield and the Commission have been listed as respondents.

The case is due to be called on Friday morning at 9.

The CARICOM-facilitated full recount was announced on Saturday by CARICOM Chair, Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, who said it that President David Granger had made a request for CARICOM to field such a team to supervise the recounting of the ballots in all regions. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had agreed to this move, which followed a contentious vote count for Region Four that resulted in allegations of fraud.