…says request for meeting vague, without basis

GECOM commissioners nominated by the opposition leader said days ahead of the holding of Local Government Elections they have been left in the dark and repeated requests for a meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have gone unnoticed.
But Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson said the request is “vague and nebulous,” noting that these “demands” are intended to derail the holding of Local Government Elections set for Monday.

On Friday during a press conference at the leader of the opposition’s Church Street Office, GECOM commissioner Bibi Shadick said since Monday she has been requesting that a meeting of the commission be held before the holding of the Local Government Elections, but her request has gone unanswered.

The commission comprising the chairman and six commissioners usually meets on Tuesday; however, because Tuesday was a national and religious holiday, it was anticipated that the meeting would have been held on Wednesday or Thursday. On Thursday, Shadick said she along with the two other opposition-nominated commissioners Robeson Benn and Sase Gunraj, wrote the chairman requesting an early meeting for the ventilation of issues ahead of Monday’s elections.

According to Shadick, the GECOM chairman and Chief Elections Officer (CEO) have displayed scant regard for the portfolios held by the opposition-nominated commissioners. “These elections are being looked at as a forerunner to the 2020 elections, which are very important to this country; and if this is what is going to happen for this election, then God forbid what is going to happen for the other. This is like a dress rehearsal that has gone horribly wrong,” she told reporters.

Shadick was backed by Gunraj and Benn.

Gunraj told reporters that it was through the press that he had learnt of the low voters’ turnout on November 2 elections when members of the disciplined services cast their ballots. That information, he said, should have been provided to commissioners at a meeting of the commission; among other things, issues that arose that day could have been discussed before Monday when the general public is expected to vote.

“I believe that any self-respecting organisation ought to have such a debriefing from such an important aspect of the proceedings so that we are all on the same page, in so far as it relates to moving forward Elections Day on November 12,” Gunraj said.

For Benn, a former minister of government under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration, it is an issue of transparency and accountability. “It undermines the transparency of the process,” he posited, noting that failure to hold a meeting of commission could undermine voters’ confidence in the process come Monday.

The GECOM Chairman, however, rubbished the arguments put forward by the concerned commissioners; he contended that they have provided the media with half-truths. “Ms. Shadick is known to be uncomfortable with the truth, she dissembles a lot,” he told this newspaper, while adding “half-truth is a whole lie, and any omission is a half-truth.”
Justice (Ret’d) Patterson said Shadick’s request was more of a demand, and though she “demanded,” he sought to make contact with other commissioners on the proposed meeting.

Notwithstanding the fact that the request was made at the height of GECOM’s operations for the upcoming elections, Justice (Ret’d) Patterson said there was no stated reason for the meeting.

“Various issues tells me nothing!” he posited.

Based on his interaction with the other three commissioners, Vincent Alexander, Desmond Trotman and Charles Corbin, he responded to Shadick on Friday via writing, underscoring the importance of a stated reason.

In the letter to Shadick, the GECOM Chairman reportedly stated that the request was “vague and nebulous.”

“The commissioners, those with whom I was able to speak, would prefer more clarity and specificity in request. Time is at the premium they say, and for me, of the essence as well,” Justice (Ret’d) Patterson reportedly said in the letter.

It was also indicated that the request came at an inconvenient time in the operations of GECOM.

“The whole office of their exercise is to derail the coming elections…I am not going to be having any meeting with them unless the commissioners say so. None of the three commissioners agree with them, so I cannot force my will on them,” the GECOM chairman said.

He also rubbished the claim that the failure to hold a meeting before elections day could undermine voters’ confidence in the system. “That’s nonsense, that’s rubbish, that’s rubbish!” he remarked.

Justice (Ret’d) Patterson said all is set for Local Government Elections and the PPP/C commissioners know it. “Not only is all in place but PPP knows that. My staff have been toiling way into the night to 2-3 o’clock in the morning, and doing the same the following day,” he said.

On Monday Local Government Elections will be held in 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) across the country.