Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has asked the Caribbean Court of Justice to rule that elections in Guyana should be held no later than September 18.
The regional court is expected to hand down consequential orders on Friday, stipulating how the country should proceed now that it is confirmed that the government was defeated by a no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018.
Before making giving the orders, the court had asked all parties involved in the cases to submit what they believe should happen going forward.
Jagdeo, this afternoon, released his submissions where he noted court should order that the Cabinet including the President resign but remain in office to hold elections within three months of June 18, when the CCJ had ruled that the motion was validly passed.
In the submission, Jagdeo noted that the that the December 21 passage of the no-confidence motion was valid.
On this note, the Opposition Leader submitted that an order be given for the president to appoint a date for General and Regional elections no later than September 18.
According to the Jagdeo in his submissions, since the next general election is due in the first half of 2020, the effect of the consequential orders which the Attorney General and Guyana Elections Commission are seeking would render the vote of no confidence against the coalition entirely ineffective and otiose.
“…the vote of no confidence, if given effect to, would have shortened the term of office of the government by at least one year, the effect of the consequential order which they seek would be to permit the Government to serve out its full five-year term.”
“This Honourable Court is urged not to sanction such a cynical and indeed transparent attempt to subvert the Constitution.”
Furthermore, the Opposition Leader said the regional court should order that the current list of electors be used for the upcoming elections.
Jagdeo submitted that had there been elections back March after the December passage of the motion, then the current list would have been used and that there are no provisions in the law to postpone the hosting of polls to conduct house to house registration.
