AFTER months of verbal abuse, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has now called on his supporters to stop attacking the character of the chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh.

Both Jagdeo’s party and his supporters had been brutally critical of Justice Singh and have often referred to her in derogatory terms. Besides, Justice Singh had received death threats and other attacks from unknown elements. However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, Jagdeo said: “I’ve noticed very harsh comments by supporters of the APNU+AFC and PPP/C directed at the Chairperson of GECOM, Justice Claudette Singh. I wish to urge our supporters and well-wishers to refrain from ad hominem attacks against Justice Singh.”

He added that the last few months have been a difficult period where the Chair has had to contend with key elements within the Secretariat and the three APNU+AFC Commissioners, who are bent on undermining every effort aimed at producing a credible result which reflects the will of the electorate. “The recount could not have been completed without her leadership and steadfastness. The fact that she was present at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre throughout the entire process is testimony to her commitment to ensuring its completion in keeping with the undertaking that she had given to the court,” Jagdeo noted. According to him, when he and President David Granger I appointed Justice Singh “we did so with knowledge of her personal and professional integrity.” “I, therefore, call on you to exercise restraint as we await CEO Lowenfield’s expeditious submission of a tabulation of the certified recount results from the 10 electoral districts together with a summary of the observation reports for each district to the commission. The commission will then meet and discuss this report consistent with its mandate, and the final results should be declared in accordance with the Order, on or before the June 16,” Jagdeo said.

President David Granger has been consistent in urging respect for Justice Singh and in almost all of his statements related to the elections, he has called upon Guyanese to respect GECOM’s independence and its chair. In his latest statement last Saturday, President Granger said thusly: “I applaud the diligence and persistence of the Chairman of the Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh, who continues to perform her duties under the Constitution admirably. She demonstrated her respect for the rulings of the court and has facilitated CARICOM’s observation role in the recount process in order to assure everyone of the credibility of the elections.

I encourage everyone to respect the Chairman of the Elections Commission and the commissioners, and to desist from scurrility, vulgarity and character assassination. The commission must be allowed to perform its functions in accordance with the Constitution. I encourage everyone to await the completion of the four stages–the current recount, the reports of the Chief Elections Officer and the CARICOM observers, the review by the Elections Commission and the declaration of the final results by the Chairman of the Commission.”