LEADER of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo is utilising the engagements intended for the selection of a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to “deceive the nation and send negative messages to the Court,” according to the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

At a press conference at Congress Place on Friday, PNCR Executive Member Joseph Harmon said while the President has given a commitment to engage the Opposition Leader, and has entrusted his representatives with the powers to make decisions on his behalf during consideration of the names, the Opposition appears to be motivated by an obstructive agenda.

“He met with the President and agreed to the talks; he agreed to the plenipotentiaries meeting yet, look at his rhetoric. From the first meeting he sought to use the media to express unilateralism citing the Constitution. It is clear, if you check his rhetoric and positions taken, that he is not acting in a consensual manner as laid out in Paragraph 28 of the judgment of the Court which states: ‘this approach gives the President a role in the identification of the six names’,” Harmon as he read the party’s statement.

GREATEST DISPLAY OF BAD FAITH
His remarks came one day after negotiations between the President and Opposition-appointed teams halted with a decision taken to have the process returned to the two leaders.
Coming out of the meeting, Harmon had relayed that while the President’s representatives were able to shortlist five from a total of 11 names submitted by Jagdeo, the team appointed by the Opposition Leader refused to consider the eight names proposed by the President.

The opposition had also requested clarification for terms such as “shortlisted” and “no objection” in a letter sent addressed to Harmon on June 10, 2019, in his capacity as Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency.

On Friday, Harmon told the media that the very clarifications requested by the Opposition’s representatives were provided several times on July 9 and again on June 11.

“It was a whole charade because, in the meeting, I explained over five times what shortlisting means, five times and they want a further explanation,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the opposition’s representatives went to the meeting with no intentions of discussing the eight names submitted by the President and said their leader will consider those names.

“We saw that as tantamount to a walkout because our work was not finished…hammering out was still going on. Mr. Jadgeo could not arbitrarily bring to an end that process when we have work to do,” Harmon said.

Representing the President were Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence; Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; and Harmon.

Representing the Opposition Leader were Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira; Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) and Attorney, Anil Nandlall and Opposition MP, Juan Edghill.

The Opposition representatives had also questioned whether the decision to reject the five names and the reasons given for these came from the President or his representatives.

However, Harmon explained to the media yesterday: “The President gave some very clear instructions to the team led by Minister Lawrence that we remain engaged; that we do everything to ensure that this process has a consensual outcome. At all stages and at every point we acted in good faith and we were the true representatives of His Excellency, the President in this process and therefore we had certain jurisdiction, certain powers when we were negotiating. Unlike the other side, they could make no decisions, everything they had to refer back [to the Opposition Leader]. Even during the consultations they had to go on the phone [to say] ‘they said this, what do you think?’”

It is now expected that the two leaders will consider a list of 13 names of which six will be shortlisted for final submission.

“Yesterday’s (Thursday’s) meeting, we felt, was one of the greatest displays of bad faith. In fact, we saw the setting up of that since Tuesday and then on Wednesday when the Leader of the Opposition, through Ms. Gail Teixeira sent a letter which got in to the media even before it we saw it, you know fully well that this was a public relations exercise that they were on,” he said.

NO INTEREST IN DELAY
The Director-General said from the inception, the President has made it clear that he respects the ruling of the CCJ and will work towards facilitating a smooth and swift process for the selection of a new Chair.

“Throughout this process, the President has shown good-faith and has been guided by and obeyed the Court’s ruling and the Constitution of Guyana,” he said.

“The government side has been and will continue to adhere to the ruling of the CCJ and the agreement with the Leader of the Opposition. The government side remains committed to concluding the process within days to enable GECOM to function. Once done, Guyanese can expect credible elections in the shortest possible time.”

Last week People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali led a group of picketers to protest for the President to set a date for early elections although there is no GECOM Chair in place.

On Friday, Harmon reminded that the President cannot name a date for elections without the assurance that GECOM is in a position to hold “free, fair and credible elections”.

Furthermore, he stated that a contaminated Official List of Electors (OLE) can affect the credibility of the elections and create a leeway for Opposition to contest the future results.

The last OLE expired under law on April 30, 2019 and the conduct of house-to-house registration, as planned since in 2018, can create the newest and most credible OLE, he maintained.

However, the Opposition remains firmly against the holding of this exercise and, in recent written submissions to the CCJ, has asked that elections be held no later than September 18, 2019.

BALL IN OPPOSITION’S COURT
Immediately after the CCJ’s June 18 ruling of the process of the appointment of the former GECOM Chair, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, as “flawed”, the President met with Patterson and accepted his resignation.

Then, following the CCJ’s June 24, 2019 urgings for the two sides to meet towards the selection of a new Chair, he met with Leader of the Opposition on July 4, 2019 to agree on the process they would take, in keeping with the Constitution, for the required selection.

Should the Leader of the Opposition refuse to meet to act on the list of eight names suggested by the President, Harmon stated that this will be “against the spirit and intent of the CCJ”.

“Now, Mr. Jagdeo has decided that his team will withdraw from the process and [it will be] handed back to him so he has to now make the next move. We are interested in having a Chairman of GECOM as fast as possible because we want elections as fast as possible…we have no interest in delaying these elections.”