Dear Editor
SOME time ago, I penned a letter to your newspaper pointing out PPP/C GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj’s disrespectful statement about the President’s meeting with the commission as a waste of his time”. For reasons best known to you, the letter was not published.

I am very certain that my comments/observations were confined to Gunraj’s behaviour which underlined a fundamental problem surrounding his understanding of the President’s prerogative, and his desire of communicating with the national electoral body for an informed position on its continuing preparations for national and regional elections.
And since this commissioner has again gone public in criticising the “GECOM no way close to decisions on holding elections” as reported in News Source, Sept. 3.9.10, I am again exercising my right as a citizen to register on a pattern that has become very obvious, as far as the political opposition side of commissioners is concerned.

First, such comments either lay bare the deliberate PPP/C policy of seeking to hurry the GECOM into premature decisions, as rightly pointed out in one of your recent editorials, or perhaps displaying total ignorance of the commission’s policy of in-depth discussions done collectively, for consensual positions for moving the process towards national elections.
Second, to rant about “…and dealt with lots of irrelevant discussions ….’’, is an attack on the policy of the chairperson whose no-nonsense position of no ‘’walk outs’’ has put a halt to the bullyism and petulant actions of the opposition trio, who mistakenly believed that GECOM as a constitutional body had been there to do their bidding. Her stern position has not found favour with a well- known line of PPP/C political action, which has been negative on the functions of the GECOM.

Thirdly, exploring all options for the delivery of credible elections in a timely manner is still the ultimate goal of GECOM. At least, the latter was acknowledged in his recent rants. It is good that commissioner Gunraj is aware of these two imperatives, except that he must act in a mature manner in the national interest, as the hour demands. His action thus far, betrays this important understanding, being reminded that GECOM has a responsibility to the constitution and the entire nation. It is not the preserve of any political party, or chosen few.

Regards
Earl Hamilton