15 witnesses come forward so far for elections CoI
Chairman of the Commission, retired judge, Justice Stanley John
Chairman of the Commission, retired judge, Justice Stanley John

–hearings commence today; commissioners set January 2023 target for conclusion of exercise

THE Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the events surrounding the 2020 General and Regional Elections will commence today, with the first set of witnesses prepared to take the stand.

This was announced on Thursday at the opening of the Commission at the Middle Street, Georgetown building.

The Commission of Inquiry was established by President Dr. Irfaan Ali in September to inquire into the events following Polling Day on March 2, 2020.

Three commissioners were appointed to preside over the proceedings: Justice Stanley John (Ret’d) as Chairman of the COI; Former Attorney-General, High Court Judge and acting Justice of Appeal in the Eastern Caribbean, Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith, and former Chancellor, Justice Carl Singh.

In his opening remarks, Justice John said that following March 2, 2020, it is public knowledge that Guyana experienced a five-month delay before the results of the elections were declared.

During that period, he said, the tabulation and verification process for declaring the outcome of the elections was mired in controversy.

With repeated warnings from the international community of the consequences of electoral fraud, and calls for an end to the impasse, he said, the declaration and acceptance of the results of a national recount saw the peaceful transition of government in August 2020.

Justice John said: “From any perspective, and by any standard, such an unprecedented state of affairs is serious enough to justify an objective and impartial inquiry into how and why it happened, and what can be done to prevent or reduce the chance of any recurrence of those events.”

During the course of the inquiry, the Commission is mandated by its Terms of Reference to inquire into and report on the relevant circumstances in relation to the counting and tabulation of votes polled, and the public declaration of the results by the Returning Officer of Electoral District No. Four and other elections officers.

They are meant to inquire into and report on what, if any, attempts were made to obstruct, frustrate, subvert and prevent the counting and tabulation of votes polled, and a declaration of the true results of Electoral District No. Four, among other things.

Secretary of the Commission of Inquiry, Mr. Javed Shaddick (Delano Williams photos)

The Chairman told those present that the Commission must also make recommendations that it deems fit and necessary to permit the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to discharge its functions as prescribed in Guyana’s Representation of the People’s Act in a manner which is impartial, fair and in compliance with the Constitution.

These, he said, are serious and heavy responsibilities that he and fellow commissioners intend to discharge carefully with professionalism, fairness and impartiality.
“We are aware that much has been said about these events by many people from diverse places and organisations, but this inquiry has no ‘case’ to prove; it is interested in the truth, and in fair conclusions, based on the evidence properly analysed,” the Chairman of the Commission said.

CREDIBLE EVIDENCE
Justice John went on to say that in presenting its findings, the Commission will have regard only for the matters that are substantiated by credible evidence, with unstinting regard for the rules of natural justice and fundamental fairness.

Senior Counsel Sophia Chote of Trinidad and Tobago will lead the proceedings, while Attorneys-at-Law Natasha Vieira and Keoma Griffith are counsels on the inquiry.
Justice John further noted that in the interest of transparency, all proceedings will be open to the public and live-streamed to be viewed by anyone who so wishes to do so.

He said, too, that inquiries of this kind must be carried out with the utmost care, and expeditiously, and it is the Commission’s intention to complete the hearings by the end of January 2023, and submit the official report to President Ali by the end of March 2023.

Following the official opening, Secretary of the CoI, Javed Shaddick told members of the media that the number of witnesses that have come forward thus far is 15, but this is likely to increase as more persons are coming forward.

There is already a list of persons who would have played a part during the elections, be it observers, presiding officers, or GECOM officials, and even members of the press. Persons from all of these categories have indicated their willingness to come forward.

When asked whether persons have been subpoenaed to testify at the inquiry, Mr. Shaddick revealed that persons were not; however, a number of persons were invited to present evidence during the inquiry.

As it is now, there are enough witnesses to carry the inquiry for around two weeks, as proceedings will be held on Monday to Friday from 9:00hrs to 11:00hrs and 13:00hrs to 16:00hrs.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.