No fear or trepidation of upcoming CCJ decision – DG Harmon

─ Govt will honour court’s decision

DPI, Guyana, Friday, June 14, 2019

The government has no fear or trepidation of the June 18 ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the December 21, 2018 vote.

“We do not hold any fear about what the court is going to decide… we will honour and obey the decision of the court,” Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon stated at his post-Cabinet press briefing today.

“This is the final court and that is the CCJ and therefore, whatever decision the court arises at is a decision that as a government, we have committed to accepting.”

He emphasised that the process is a legal one and therefore, the government is bound to act in accordance with the CCJ’s decision.

The Trinidad-based court will rule on cases brought by private citizen, Compton Reid, Harmon and Attorney General Basil Williams, challenging the validity of the December 21, 2018 vote in the 111^th Sitting of National Assembly.

The CCJ was asked to uphold the Guyana Court of Appeal’s regarding the number of votes needed to pass the motion brought against the government by the opposition.

During CCJ Consolidated hearing last month, Compton Reid’s lawyer, Neil Boston argued that the Appeal Court’s decision should be maintained on the grounds that former Member of Parliament, Charrandass Persaud could not vote against the list, without first informing the Parliament of his intention to do so.

He contended that Persaud was duty-bound to vote for the list from which his name was extracted.

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