Several persons were on Monday sworn in and will be responsible for conducting a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the alleged rigging of the 2020 General and Regional Elections which was held in March. But this move by President Ali has come in for criticism from the APNU+AFC Opposition.
During this week’s press conference from the Office of the Leader of the Opposition spokesperson, Roysdale Forde said the party believes President Ali has used his power to his (President Ali’s) advantage and believes this is not the best time for the COI.
“The issue which we contend this afternoon or this morning in relation to is the respect of the decision to appoint a Commission of Inquiry where there is an ongoing election petition and moreover is the issue also that many persons who would have played critical roles in the process of the elections are currently before the court, currently charged for a number of criminal offences in relation to the subject matter of the COI,” Forde pointed out.
It is with this in mind, he added “I believe that the exercise of power by the President to appoint a Commission of Inquiry in those circumstances where there is a prevailing election petition current before the CCJ and the Court of Appeal where they are persons charged for criminal offences may well be an improper exercise of that power that vest itself in that executive.”
The APNU/AFC had appealed an election petition, asking for David Granger to be declared Guyana’s President for a second term, and is asking the courts to declare that President Irfaan Ali is illegally in office. However, this petition was thrown out several times.
The matter is currently before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
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