…PPP commissioners in move to undermine chair, GECOM
…Trotman says recent letter to diplomats ill-advised

THE joint attempt of Opposition-nominated Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to bar Messrs. Roysdale Forde and Stanley Marcus from representing the Commission on legal matters is ill-advised.

This is the position of GECOM Commissioner, Desmond Trotman, who also shut down claims of the Opposition-nominated Commissioners that Commissioner Vincent Alexander’s position on the matter is partisan.

In a letter to GECOM Chair, Justice (rt’d) Claudette Singh, Trotman spoke to the recent issue raised by the Opposition in objection to Forde representing GECOM due to him being named as a candidate of the APNU+AFC.

The case in question is an Appeal which challenges the ruling of the acting Chief Justice in respect to the requirement or non-requirement of residency as a precondition for registration in the 2019 truncated house-to-house Registration Exercise.

Trotman reminded that Forde’s involvement in the matter dates back to 2019 and in no way collides with his candidature, which took effect on January 10, 2020. He stated that at the time Forde was named as a candidate, the matter was before the Appeal Court and all submissions had already been made and no new argument would have been admissible at the appeal instance.

“In those circumstances, it is their reference to Mr. Forde that is perverted rather than the circumstances of his involvement. Suffice to say that GECOM`s Attorneys– Forde and Marcus– at the first instance would naturally be required to follow through on this matter at the appeal instance, although GECOM did not initiate the matter in the first or appeal instance,” Trotman said.

The Commissioner said that he is left to question the motive of the complaints of the Opposition-nominated Commissioners as its authors, two of whom are attorneys, “actively involved in litigation relating to GECOM”.

After the Opposition had raised its contention on the matter, research by the newspaper had also highlighted that, for several years, some of GECOM’s top lawyers were PPP bigwigs such as Senior Counsel, Ashton Chase and Doodnauth Singh and Attorney-at-law, Sanjeev Datadin, now a candidate on the Opposition’s list.

In targeting Forde and Marcus, Trotman said that the Commissioners should know the detriments of knowingly providing incorrect information to the public. The Commissioners, Bibi Shadick, Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn, on January 21, 2020, had copied the letter detailing their complaints to representatives of the American, British, Canadian and European Union countries, the Carter Centre, the International Republican Institute, Dr. Afari Gyan of the Commonwealth Observer Mission and Mr. Jean-Pierre Kingsley, Canadian Elections Consultant to GECOM.

“The letter, to my mind, sought to convey the impression that you, Madam Chair and a segment of the Commission, are involved with the Commissioner of Registration/Chief Elections Officer (CEO) in conduct inimical to the best interest of GECOM and Guyana,” Trotman expressed, later adding: “This is just another in the plethora of unfounded, unproved allegations being directed at certain members of the Commission by the PPP Commissioners, as GECOM, under your able stewardship continues to move to elections on the appointed date.”

Trotman also pointed out that CEO, Keith Lowenfield, weeks ago, had clearly explained how he became involved in the matter and, while Commissioner Alexander has been accused of the same, he has no intention of delaying the March 2, 2020 elections. In fact, Trotman said that Alexander has indicated to the entire commission that despite the outcome of the ongoing court case, he will lobby that the Commission work towards and hold elections on the set date.

“Commissioner Vincent Alexander’s proposal to Commissioners that even if the Appeal Court upturns the Acting Chief Justice’s decision and notwithstanding the fact that the matter will engage the attention of the CCJ, GECOM must continue to vigorously pursue its preparatory work to ensure the elections are held on March 2, 2020 without fail. This position of Commissioner Alexander cannot be described as partisan, in view of the fact that he, among others, had stridently advocated for house-to-house registration and the creation of a new voters` list before any election is held. It is, therefore, obvious that Commissioner Alexander has no interest in this matter in relation to the holding of elections on March 2,” Trotman said.

He also criticised the Opposition-nominated Commissioners and Leader of the Opposition for their act of “desperation” in seeking the involvement of the international community in matters relating to Guyana and the independent Commission.
He stated: “It makes me wonder, if they are attempting to solicit the support of the leaders of those countries to reject the results of the elections if they do not favour them and to have them impose a solution similar and consistent with what obtains in Venezuela and Bolivia or, is it being done in the hope that those persons will apply pressure on you [GECOM Chair] to force you into making decisions, which are not in keeping with your stated objectives of GECOM holding credible, free and fair elections and elections free from fear, the results of which are acceptable to all?”
Trotman also labelled as “disgusting and unforgiveable” the attempts of the Opposition-nominated Commissioners to “infer improper conduct” on the Chair for the administration of her duties. He requested that his letters be likewise copied to the international representatives of the countries for their information.