GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC) — Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Claudette Singh says she will not “actively participate” in the appeal filed by the two senior members of the main Opposition People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in relation to a Court of Appeal ruling regarding the disputed March 2 regional and general elections.

The Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Guyana's highest court, is due to sit tomorrow to determine whether or not it has jurisdiction to hear the appeal filed by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, and Irfaan Ali, the presidential candidate of the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

The two filed a Notice of Motion before the CCJ for several reliefs, including an interpretation of the words 'more votes are cast' in Article 177(2)(b) of the Constitution of Guyana.

The applicants, who were added as respondents before the Court of Appeal, claim that the decision was wrong for many reasons, including that the Court of Appeal did not have the jurisdiction to hear and determine the Notice of Motion.

Private citizen, Eslyn David, mounted her challenge before the appellate court pursuant to Article 177 (4) of the constitution, which states “the Court of Appeal shall have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine any question as to the validity of an election of a president in so far as the question depends upon the qualification of any person for election or the interpretation of this Constitution…”

By a majority ruling of 2-1, the Court of Appeal did not grant all the remedies that David had sought in her motion and also agreed to a stay of three days on the judgement.