Cloud of doubt hovers over DCB executive

–WICB still to respond to request for names of DCB executive members

By Rajiv Bisnauth

A cloud of doubt continues to hover over the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) even after supposed legitimate elections on January 25 elections.
The DCB, for the past three years, has been blanketed in one court case after the other, caused by a crippling power struggle that resulted in factions led by businessmen Bissoondyal Singh and Raj Singh. Eventually, a court ruling in the High Court prohibited both factions from acting on behalf of the entity after both factions held separate elections back in January of 2010.
Surprisingly, last month a faction of the DCB held elections but a month later it is unclear who were the members elected to hold positions on the board. Observers maintain that elections were held so as to ensure that there was some amount of validity to Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) elections that were held last month and that there would had have been a quorum to facilitate the local governing body’s elections.
On the other hand, president of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA), Roger Harper and head of the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB), Bissoondyal Singh on Wednesday confirmed that attempts were still being made to garner the critical information through the West Indies Cricket Board for some time now on the position of the DCB and GCB elections.
The duo had written to the president of the WICB Dr Julian Hunte on February 9, enquiring about the names of those persons representing the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) at the recently held Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) elections.
“This vital information has not been made public and it appears to be a closely guarded secret. We look forward to an urgent response to our request since this information will largely influence the decisions we would have to make towards a resolution of the cricket crisis in Guyana,” the letter stated.
Meanwhile, this publication, in an effort to obtain the names of the DCB office bearers from Raj Singh on Wednesday, proved futile.
Raj Singh did not disclose the names of the DCB office bearers, saying that the GCB will make it public through a press release.
When this publication made contact with the GCB office on Wednesday, the board’s administrator, Savitri Persaud indicated that she is unaware of the DCB office bearers. Persaud also stated that “at no point she was given any instructions to release the names of the DCB office bearers to the public.”
Both the ECCB and GCA were not part of the DCB elections. The Raj Singh faction proceeded with the elections, despite another injunction that was served against the faction hours prior to the DCB elections.
The injunction was granted to plaintiffs Roger Harper and Davteerth Anandjit and the defendants named in the court document were Rajendra Singh, Lalta Digamber, Anand Sanasie, Alfred Mentore, Anand Kalladeen, Ravindranauth Persaud, Ronald Sarjoo, Nazimul Drepaul, Colin Europe, Ray Persaud, Krishnchand Mangal, Chetram Singh, Lionel Jaikaran, Ramsey Ali, Fizul Bacchus, Dru Bahadur, Troy Mendonca, Terrence Holder and Rayon Griffith.
The interim injunction restrains the defendants “by themselves, their servants and or agents acting collectively or individually… from convening or causing to be convened or holding an Annual General Meeting of the Demerara Cricket Board on January 25, 2013 or any other date for the purpose of the election of office bearers to the Executive Committee of the Demerara Cricket Board for the period 2013 to 2015 term of office.”
Unaware of injunction
Meanwhile, after the January 27 GCB elections, Raj Singh told Guyana Times International that his faction was unaware of any court injunction.
The Raj Singh faction also took part in the electoral process of the GCB elections on January 27. The Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) was the other board that voted. The Berbice Cricket Board did not participate in the elections after they claimed that the board had not received any official notification from the GCB with respect to the AGM and elections.