LEADER of the Opposition, Bharat Jagdeo, is expected to submit his third list of nominees for the post of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to President David Granger by next week.
Although the list is not fully complete, Jagdeo told members of the media on Friday that he has made “substantial” progress and will soon conclude his search. “I am getting difficulties finding solid professionals who will accept the nomination, because a lot of people do not want to be a part of the political domain, but I have made a commitment to submitting a third list and I will continue with that process,” he said.
Prior to the compilation of the third list, he had submitted two lists to the President; however, both were rejected. None of the persons from the previous lists has been included on this third list, but it includes a mixture of persons, some from the legal fraternity and others who fall within the “fit and proper category,” Jagdeo said.
The second list comprised retired justices BS Roy and William Ramlal, attorneys Oneidge Walrond-Allicock, Nadia Sagar and Kashir Khan and businessman Gerry Gouveia. The first list comprised chartered accountant Christopher Ram, governance specialist Lawrence Lachmansingh, business executives Ramesh Dookhoo and Norman McLean, author Ryhaan Shah and historian, Professor James Rose.
Back in March, the President had pointed out that Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana states that “Subject to the provisions of paragraph (4), the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth, or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person….”
Businessman Marcel Gaskin had however approached the High Court to interpret the article, which resulted in Chief Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire confirming that the President acting on his own deliberate judgment must determine whether a person is ‘fit and proper’. “I am still waiting on the written judgment, but I hope that when I submit the third list someone will be chosen and the issue will become mute,” said Jagdeo. If no one is selected from the third list, a process has been identified which includes the Opposition and the government discussing a way forward on the matter.