– Minister Teixeira says, urges police investigation

MINISTER of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, on Friday, called out the Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC)’s continuous attacks on the chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh.

In a press statement, Teixeira accused Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton and the coalition of consistently attacking GECOM’s top official since the commencement of the 2020 General and Regional Elections (GRE) in March of that year.

These threats, Teixeira said, expose the opposition’s plot to bully and intimidate the head of the constitutional body.
The Minister noted that Norton’s strategy was exposed late last year when a prominent member of the party spoke on a programme of “breaking up” the elections commission and bringing “everything to a halt.”

Further, the statement attributed to Minister Teixeira said that statements made by the Opposition Leader hinting that there is need to “pressure her to resign or face unspecified action” should be urgently investigated by the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

It was noted that in other countries such threats are a criminal offence.
“Clearly, Mr. Norton, his party [the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R)] and the APNU+AFC coalition have not deviated from these bullyism and intimidation tactics which we witnessed during the Granger administration,” Teixeira said.

She said that Justice Singh, who chairs GECOM, has served Guyana for decades and has guarded her integrity and adherence to the constitution and rule of law.
“These threats are unacceptable in any civilized society and must not be allowed to continue without consequences,” she said.

As such, Minister Teixeira noted it is time for the Guyana Police Force to investigate the numerous threats.
She added that civil society leaders and women’s right organisations should call out the misogynistic attacks on the chair.

Additionally, the statement noted, the diplomatic and international community should also make known their concerns for Singh’s safety and the efforts by the Opposition Leader to destabilise the electoral process.
Minister Teixeira indicated that she will be formally writing the diplomatic and international community in relation to the threats to the GECOM chair and the opposition’s plot to undermine GECOM and the electoral system in the country.