MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon, on Friday poured cold water on accusations that the APNU+AFC administration is attempting to delay the hosting of the 2020 General elections by ‘prolonging’ the appointment of a chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
The accusation was made by former President Donald Ramotar-the only President in Guyana’s history to have ever shutdown Parliament and was voted out of office after serving only three years. Asked to respond to the allegations, Harmon said, “The administration of President (David) Granger has made it clear that we have no intention of either lengthening or shortening the term of office, that at the time when elections are to be called they will be called and so we can put that to rest about trying to delay an elections”.
Harmon made it clear that consultations are currently ongoing between President David Granger and the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo. The President is mandated by Article 161 of the Constitution to consult with the Leader of the Opposition on the selection of a Chairman of the Elections Commission.
Last week, President Granger rejected the second list of nominees for a GECOM Chairman submitted by Jagdeo, who has since threatened to take legal action if a GECOM chair is selected unilaterally by the President. He deemed as unacceptable the list of six persons nominated by Jagdeo for the post. “I have examined the Curricula Vitae of the six persons in light of the criteria defined in my letter to you dated 2017.03.14. I have found the list to be ‘unacceptable’ within the meaning of the Constitution and of those criteria,” said the President in his missive to the Opposition Leader.

“Every member of the list suggested must conform to the criteria and you cannot put on the list, a person who does not conform… I must be given a choice. I don’t believe that the second list gave me the range of choice that the people of Guyana deserve,” he said. “Nothing is ever settled until it is settled right and he has to get it right,” the President continued.

However, Ramotar who was overlooked by the PPP for a seat in Parliament after losing the May 2015 polls was quoted in the press as saying that he believes since the government is “performing very poorly” President Granger and his government are attempting to wait until oil production begins to boost the local economy with the hope of regaining lost confidence. “The thing is that the government is performing very, very poorly and they have lost considerable to my mind in public opinion and they obviously plan to do things to try to stay in power,” Demerara Waves quoted Ramotar as saying.
Meanwhile, Jagdeo’s second list of nominees included: Justice of Appeal BS Roy (ret’d); Justice William Ramlal (ret’d); Oneidge Walrond-Allicock, attorney-at-law and a former magistrate; Kashir Khan, attorney-at-law; Nadia Sagar, attorney-at-law and businessman, Gerald Gouveia.

The rejection of the second list by President Granger has been noted with deep concern by Jagdeo, a former President who noted that “The President has had enough time to deal with this matter…more and more I get the feeling that this delay is just to make it seem as though there is serious consideration of the names just to create a façade”.
But the Head-of-State assured that he is prepared to work with Jagdeo for as long as it takes to have a chairman who fits the constitutional requirement selected. “I’m prepared to work with the Leader of the Opposition for as long as it takes, but I’m not going to give the people of Guyana the appointment of a person, who is not fit and proper in accordance with the Constitution or criteria, which have been laid out,” said Granger. Harmon also said that nothing in the law “seeks to fetter the discretion of the president”. “As citizens, we should give these two gentlemen a chance to sit and decide. We are acting in accordance with the constitution and the constitution is the supreme law of the land,” added Harmon.