PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago — The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) yesterday afternoon issued an order requiring the Guyana Elections Commission and its officers and agents to take no step to prejudice the fair hearing of an application made to the court by Mohammed Irfaan Ali and Bharrat Jagdeo.

The court explained that attorneys for Ali and Jagdeo applied to the court yesterday, for special leave to appeal against a decision of the Court of Appeal of Guyana delivered on Monday .

The CCJ ruling came after Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams said Monday's ruling of the Court of Appeal in the disputed March 2 regional and general elections cannot be challenged at the CCJ, the country's highest court.

“Article 177 clearly states that any decision made by the appeal court is final and equally, the CCJ Act Chapter 3:07, there is a provision that speaks to the Caribbean Court of Justice will not exercise jurisdiction or hear any matter from our Court of Appeal which is stated to be final,” Williams told the State-owned Guyana Chronicle newspaper.

The article states, in part, “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…”

The main Opposition People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) said that it won the elections based on the national recount of votes that ended on June 9.

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