THE People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the biggest faction in the APNU/AFC coalition government, will respect whatever decisions are made by newly-appointed Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairperson, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh.
At the party’s weekly press conference, on Friday, Minister of Social Cohesion, and PNC’R Second Vice-Chairman, Dr. George Norton, conveyed the party’s support for Justice Singh’s appointment.

Responding to a question on if the party would support Singh if she decides not to go ahead with house-to-house registration – Norton said the government will follow the law. “The coalition government has demonstrated to all and sundry that it is a law-abiding coalition and we will certainly take into consideration decisions made by the chairman of the commission, who we support,” Norton declared.

In a press statement, the party applauded Singh on her appointment. “The PNC/R wishes to welcome and congratulate Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, SC, CCH, who over the years, in her public service, manifested that she is independent and a true servant of the people Guyana. We wish her well in her new endeavor,” Norton read from the statement.
First announced on July 26, the historic selection of Justice Singh, the first woman to be heading the electoral body, brought to a close weeks of deliberations between President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, after the resignation of Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson.

Last June, the chairmanship became vacant after the CCJ ruled that the process that led to the October 2017 appointment of Patterson was flawed. Singh took the oath of office on Monday, 29 July, and on Wednesday, 31 July, met with the government and opposition-nominated GECOM commissioners in separate meetings. GECOM has three government-appointed and three opposition-appointed commissioners.

The two sides have been at loggerheads since a no-confidence motion against the government on December 21, which initiated the need for early elections. However, following several court challenges, it was not until June that the motion was ruled successfully passed by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the final court of appeal. GECOM is currently in the process of conducting house-to-house registration in order to put together a new official voters’ list, since the last one is no longer valid having expired on April 30, 2019. Over 70,000 have already been registered since the exercise commenced on July 20.

The government-nominated commissioners are sticking to their call for the continuation of house-to-house registration, which is currently ongoing. Opposition commissioners however are calling for house-to-house to be stopped and elections to be called by September. Following her appointment on Monday, Singh said that she will abide by the Constitution and the Laws of Guyana. “…There is only one way, in accordance with the law, and in accordance with the Constitution, and nothing else,” Justice Singh told reporters at her swearing in ceremony.