– President expects recruitment process to be above board

GOVERNMENT on Wednesday made it clear that it plays no role in the hiring process of officials at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Head of State, President David Granger reminded reporters on the sideline of an accreditation ceremony for the Argentine Ambassador to Guyana that GECOM is an autonomous institution. “The executive branch of government has nothing to do with the procedures. I expect that they’d be following normal practice and having persons who are fit and proper, qualified to hold positions in that commission,” Granger told Guyana Chronicle.

Asked for his thoughts on allegations by the Opposition nominated Commissioner, Robeson Benn, that there is no balance in the ethnic composition of staff hired by the Commission, the President said, “I am not aware of the procedures, but I expect that the procedures would be above board and that they want to get the best persons to do the job.”
President Granger made it clear that neither he nor any member of his government is party to GECOM’s hiring process as the entity is autonomous. On Tuesday, a meeting called to discuss important matters relevant to this year’s Local Government Elections (LGE) was abruptly adjourned following a heated confrontation between GECOM’s Chairman, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson and Commissioner Benn over the ethnic composition of the secretariat’s workforce.

The matter was raised before at a public forum in May when Benn alleged that GECOM’s secretariat is dominated by Afro-Guyanese. He had alleged then, at the event held at the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre that 90 per cent of the workforce is made-up of Afro-Guyanese; a sentiment repeated by his party colleagues. However, when the meeting was called to order, Justice Patterson sought to address the inaccuracy of the statements made by Benn and his colleagues while noting that GECOM’s Secretariat comprises 46 per cent Afro-Guyanese. But Benn disagreed and boisterously asserted his position at the meeting which was slated to discuss the appointment of a Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), and a plan of action for LGE slated for later this year. However, the meeting was turned into a heated back and forth between the Chairman and Benn.

At the time, Commissioners Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman were present in addition to PPP Commissioners Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj. The meeting was subsequently adjourned. Upon resumption, Benn was warned about his prior behaviour but did not heed the warning and the meeting was adjourned a second time.
Meanwhile, at a press conference held in the compound of the GECOM’s Secretariat, Kingston, Alexander, backed by Corbin and Trotman, said that Commissioner Benn was offered the opportunity to provide the evidence to substantiate his claims but failed to do so.

Alexander noted too that the bickering between the Chairman and Commissioner Benn has been ongoing for some time. “For some time now there has been an ongoing interaction, not the most pleasant, not the most diplomatic, not the most acceptable between the Chairman and commissioner Benn,” he said. Alexander, a long-standing GECOM commissioner, made it clear that the GECOM does not hire persons on the basis of race. He noted that given the perceived concerns of Commissioner Benn, it is he who should have made a proposition. “My point is, if he raises the matter, two things should happen; one, he should present the evidence and on the other hand he himself should have a proposition as to how the matter should be addressed,” said Alexander.

However, in a joint press statement, the PPP/C Commissioners said Justice (Ret’d) Patterson prevented Benn from justifying his position. “In responding to the Chairman, Commissioner Benn attempted to justify his assertion and in doing so, pointed out that the perception was that the vast majority of the staff of the Commission were persons of one ethnic descent …The Chairman prevented Commissioner Benn from defending his position and when challenged, adjourned the meeting for over half an hour,” the statement issued by Benn, Gunraj and Shadick read.

They alleged that the Chairman, although disputing Benn’s claim, did not offer any evidence to substantiate his position. “Upon resumption, the Chairman announced that Commissioner Benn would not be recognised and therefore was prevented from participating in the remainder of the meeting. We were therefore forced to walk out of the meeting,” the PPP/C Commissioners said. The Commission is slated to meet next Tuesday.