Sir,

This letter affords an opportunity to the Rastafari Community of all Guyana to publicly and formally commend His Excellency President David Granger on the appointment of a Chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission GECOM in accordance with Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

We wish to remind the public of the names of the four previous Chairmen of GECOM since the implementation of the Carter Formula for the selection of the GECOM Chairman.

The first Chairman was Ambassador Rudy Collins who functioned as Chairman for the 1992 General and Regional Elections.

The second Chairman was Former Attorney-General Doodnauth Singh who functioned as Chairman for the 1997 General and Regional Elections.

The third Chairman was Major-General (Ret’d) Joseph Singh who functioned as Chairman for the 2001 General and Regional Elections.

The fourth Chairman was Dr. Steve Surijbally who functioned as Chairman for the 2006, 2011 and 2015 General and Regional Elections.

Thus, of the six General and Regional Elections since the implementation of the Carter Formula, five have been chaired by a Guyanese of East Indian descent and one by a Guyanese of African Descent. For our sacred space and consciousness as a multi-racial society, we urge all Guyanese to embrace the appointment of Justice James Patterson, a Guyanese of African descent. This bodes well for ethnic relations within Guyana. We are in the United Nations Decade for People of African Descent.

It is also indisputable that Justice Patterson has extensive experience nationally and regionally and will provide exemplary leadership at GECOM.

Signed:
Bro Reuben 1s
Ras Leon Saul
Joel Anderson
S Smith
L Smith
Rudolph B Williams
Jah Lion ((Randolph Joseph)
C S Semple
I Roots
Ras Dalgettie I
Carla Correia
W David