PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo has lambasted People’s Progressive Party (PPP)–appointed Commissioner on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Sase Gunraj, for his remarks following a meeting between President David Granger and GECOM on Thursday.

Gunraj was reported in the media subsequent to the meeting, saying, “It’s a colossal waste of my time this morning and I think it’s a collective waste of the commission’s time this morning.”

“Nothing that was new, no new positions to be given, no new discussions, etc…this meeting is premature…because we are awaiting a decision from the court in relation to the conduct of the house-to-house exercise as well as we’re awaiting a full meeting of the commission so I reiterate, this is just a waste of time,” said Gunraj.

According to a press statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, Gunraj is also reported to have commented that, “what we were subject to is the regular nonsense from the executive”.

In response to Gunraj’s comments, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said that Gunraj was “rude and disrespectful to the executive.” “Even if it was the first formal meeting between His Excellency, President David Granger and the new Chairman, Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh, it was indecent of the opposition-appointed commissioner to consider such a meeting “a waste of time” as Gunraj is reported to have said,” said Prime Minister Nagamootoo.
Prime Minister Nagamootoo added that President Granger exercised his prerogative to have consultation with the new GECOM Chairman and the commissioners, he cannot see how the consultative process can be a deemed “a waste of time.”

“If the President hadn’t done so they would sing a different tune that he had ignored GECOM,” the prime minister reasoned. “For someone who holds a constitutional office as a member of the elections commission it is unbecoming and infantile behaviour that meeting with the new chairman shows that the President is paying due respect for the independent authority of the commission. This meeting provided an opportunity for the commission to advise the president if they were in a position to do so,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo explained.

“This is typical. PPP seems to be stuck in its irresponsible and contentious behaviour in the face of the initiative by the executive to keep the door of engagement and dialogue open, and even by holding out an olive branch,” Prime Minister Nagamootoo asserted.