CHAIRMAN of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr Steve Surujbally having brought the electoral body into disrepute, to participate in local government elections under his “dishonourable and disgraceful watch will be counter-productive and makes no sense…” At least, this is according to the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in its latest salvo against Dr. Surujbally. “Surujbally can talk until he is blue in the face about not going anywhere,” the Party says, “he will go; it is only a matter of time.”
Dr. Surujbally has been the focus of calls for his resignation by the political Opposition in Guyana,following General and Regional Elections in recent years,but never before by the political opposition making up the PPP/C.

The political party, which recently ceded power to the coalesced A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) says Dr. Surujbally has lost its confidence.
In explaining what it meant, the PPP/C said it speaks from a position of having been able to secure the vote of 49.3 per cent of the Guyanese electorate.
The PPP/C further said that it abhors the stand publicly adopted by Dr. Surujbally as regards his role and functions as current GECOM Chairman.
The PPP/C lamented and pointed out what it said was “contrary to Mr Surujbally’s claim that he is not involved in the complexities of the operations of the Commission, and that he simply overlooks and chairs the Board, his protestations are all far cries from the truth.”
The PPP/C insists that contrary to Dr. Surujbally’s pronouncements, he “is indeed deeply involved in the operations of GECOM.”
The PPP/C, which was represented at GECOM through three of its Commissioners, yesterday said publicly that it is Dr. Surujbally and not the Chief Election Officer (CEO), Mr Keith Lowenfield, who gives the general orders and directions to the secretariat.
The opposition PPP/C insists this action on the part of the GECOM Chairman undermines Lowenfield’s authority.
The party states however, “Yet, through his smug public pronouncements, he [Dr. Surujbally] sought to shift his failings onto Lowenfield in an attempt to repeat his misdeeds, resulting in the booting out of Gocool Boodhoo as CE0 of the Commission.”
The party yesterday said too: “It is to be recalled that following the 2011 General and Regional Elections, Surujbally, after coming under tremendous pressure from the then PNC Opposition who had called for his resignation, apparently sealed a deal, which resulted in the dismissal of Boodhoo and the retention of Surujbally as Chairman of GECOM.”
The PPP/C said too that it has been reported that Dr Surujbally, when chairing meetings of the Commission “bullies, brow-beats, threatens, and even intimidates the CE0 and members of the body.”
The party said it wishes to place on record that “whatever the institutional shortcomings at GECOM, the buck stops at the level of the Chairman and the CEO.”
As such, the Opposition PPP/C said it is convinced that Dr. Surujbally’s actions cumulatively, have compromised the independence of GECOM and its functions and role as an agency to ensure free and fair elections have been emasculated.
The political opposition led by its General Secretary, Clement Rohee, had earlier this week given the party’s position that it would not want to contest local government elections under the stewardship of Chairman Dr. Surujbally.
“Not with Surujbally; we have already begun calling for Surujbally’s resignation. We want Dr. Surujbally’s resignation almost immediately.”

By Gary Eleazar