Anti-Granger protests held

The political situation in Guyana has become more tense following protests calling for the removal of President David Granger.

Starbroek News has reported protests over “rigged” elections at Bath Settlement Public Road, West Berbice and at Lusignan on the East Coast Demarara. The protesters blocked the road with burning tyres chanted “Granger must go.”

In response to the protest riot arrived and cleared the road of debris.

The path to Guyana having a new government continued to become more complicated as the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has successfully received an injunction preventing the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) from declaring results from Monday’s national and regional elections.

Kaieteur News has reported that PPP/C Executive Anil Nandlall has secured an injunction in the High Court to restrain GECOM officials from declaring the results “unless the electoral process as prescribed by law is compiled with”.

The injunction was granted by Justice Navindra Singh in the High Court civil jurisdiction and was to be served on GECOM officials at the Georgetown command centre. The document stated failure to comply with the court order could result in the parties being held in contempt of court and the parties may also be liable to a term of imprisonment and have their assets confiscated.

Kaieteur News reported that on Thursday afternoon Nandlall arrived at the GECOM command centre in the company of two court marshals but could not serve the writ as the officials to receive could not be located.

The injunction, which was issued in accordance with Section 84 of the Representation of the People Act, restrained GECOM, either by itself, its servants and/or agents, and each and every one of them, from in any manner whatsoever, declaring the total number of valid votes of electors for each list of candidates recorded in the national and regional elections.

On Thursday Starbroek News reported GECOM had released to the media that the incumbent APNU + AFC (A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change coalition) won Region Four by 59,077 votes which would see the party of Granger winning by about 7,000 votes.