Appointment of GECOM chair key to elections
President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana David Granger
President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana David Granger

…President urges good faith negotiations by Jagdeo
… commits to the holding of credible elections in the shortest possible time

PRESIDENT David Granger, while reiterating his commitment to the holding of credible elections in the shortest possible time, said it is imperative that a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) be appointed, and that, according to him, such could be done by Monday, if the Opposition acts in a consensual manner.
Hours after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) urged that the President and the Opposition Leader make the appointment of the GECOM chair a matter of greatest public importance, President Granger, in an address to the nation on Friday, took note of the pronouncements of the CCJ, that he and the Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo should conclude the process of appointing a new GECOM Chairman, so as to facilitate the conduct of early credible elections.

“Guyanese, it is clear that elections have to be held in the shortest possible time and, therefore, it is crucial to appoint a chairman of the Elections Commission. This could be done as early as Monday if the Opposition Leader is prepared to act in a consensual manner and in good faith,” President Granger told the nation.

The Head of State explained that he met the Opposition Leader on July 4 in good faith, and together they had agreed on a process that would have produced six names for formal submission to him but the Opposition has since breached that agreement.
“Representatives of both the Government and the Opposition have met three times this week. However, that good faith has not been reciprocated by the Leader of the Opposition,” the President explained.

President Granger had appointed Vice President and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence; and Director-General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon to consult with the Opposition-appointed team. That team included Members of Parliament, Gail Teixeira, Anil Nandlall and Bishop Juan Edghill.
While the President’s team successfully shortlisted five names from a list of 11 resubmitted by the Leader of the Opposition after extensive consultation, the Jagdeo-appointed team refused to consider the eight nominees, proposed by President Granger, for the position. It was expected that the teams would have selected six names from the consolidated list of 19 for consideration by the Opposition Leader before a formal submission is made to the President but the process was sent back to the two Leaders due to the stance of the Opposition. A total of 13 names are now up for consideration – five shortlisted from the Opposition Leader’s list and eight proposed by the President.

“It was my hope that the two sides would have been able to “hammer out” the list of six nominees in accordance with the CCJ guidelines,” President Granger said.
He added: “It is unfortunate that, despite the meetings between the two sides, the Leader of the Opposition rejected the idea of acting in a consensual manner. He chose to put forward candidates for the post who have been rejected previously.”

While reiterating the importance of holding elections at the shortest possible time, the Head of State maintained that the Opposition Leader must act in good faith.
On June 18, 2019, the CCJ ruled that the process of appointing Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson back in October, 2017 was flawed. It called on the President and the Opposition Leader to consult on the names of six nominees for the chairmanship of the Elections Commission before a formal submission is made to the President.

Paragraph 26 of the ruling states: “The Court decided that the most sensible approach to operationalising the Article was for the Leader of the Opposition and the President to communicate with each other in good faith and perhaps even meet to discuss, eligible candidates for the position of Chairman before a list is formally submitted. The aim of these discussions must be to agree (to) the names of six persons who fit the stated eligibility requirements and who are not unacceptable to the President.” It was on that basis that the two Leaders met and subsequently appointed their teams to “hammer out” the nominees.
Article 161(2) of the Constitution states that the Commission’s Chairman “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, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation with the non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly.”

President Granger made it clear too that it is GECOM and not the Executive that is in charge of the elections. “GECOM has to advise the President on its readiness to conduct elections,” he explained while committing to the holding of credible elections in the shortest possible time.

He said the Constitution of Guyana is sacrosanct and supreme and the independence of the judiciary remains intact as well as that of the Elections Commission. The President, in his address, underscored the importance of credible elections, noting that they are essential to representative democracy. “The credibility of the elections is dependent, in part, on the integrity of the Official List of Electors. I maintain that a contaminated list can vitiate the credibility of elections,” he maintained.

But despite the challenges that have arisen in the appointment of a new chairman of the Elections Commission, the President committed to the process, and the holding of credible elections.

“Guyanese, I will devote all my energies until the forthcoming election to serving our people and our country and to delivering good governance. We live in a country that is moving forward; with an economy that is more resilient – providing better jobs; communities that are safer; in a society that has better infrastructure, greater access to quality education and that is more cohesive. Guyanese, we are on the right path,” the Head of State assured the nation. The President is urging all Guyanese to back him and the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, when elections are held, in an effort to secure a better future for Guyana.

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