GEORGETOWN – The Guyana government filed an appeal against a ruling by Chief Justice Roxane George presenting two candidates of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) from legally sitting in the National Assembly.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall wants the Court of Appeal to “stay” or put on hold the April 21 decision of the Chief Justice, with respect to Sarah Browne and Vikash Ramkissoon sitting in the National Assembly.
Attorney-at-law Prithima Kissoon said there was precedent to grant a stay of the High Court’s decision for Brown and Ramkissoon to be removed from the National Assembly.
The AG wants the two PPP/C candidates, who are parliamentary secretaries to continue sitting in the National Assembly until the matter is determined, arguing that there could be no harm to Christopher Jones, the Opposition Chief Whip, if this happens since they do not have the right to vote in the House.
Kissoon said the work of the parliamentary secretaries will be adversely affected if they are removed before the appeal is heard.
“The Second and Third Named Applicants/Appellants have already been assigned important constitutional and parliamentary duties and without the interim protection of this Honourable Court, they will not be able to discharge those important duties and responsibilities to the detriment of the public good and the people of Guyana whom they represent,” she said in her affidavit.
Jones on December 22 last year, challenged the lawfulness of the appointment of the two parliamentary secretaries, arguing that Browne and Ramkisson, by virtue of being candidates, were debarred from being in the National Assembly in their new position.
Browne and Ramkissoon were appointed parliamentary secretaries, but the Chief Justice ruled the positions are meant for so-called “technocrats” or those who were not candidates in the elections.
Browne and Ramkisson were sworn in on September 15, 2020.
Browne was designated as the parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and Ramkissoon was designated as the parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Jones, however, relied heavily on earlier court rulings, including a Guyana Court of Appeal ruling in January last year.
(CMC)
