ANEAL Giddings was on Thursday sworn in as the new Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) and Deputy Commissioner of Registration (DCNR) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrate’s court.

His swearing in followed the approval of his appointment by GECOM commissioners at a meeting earlier this week.

In an invited comment, Giddings told members of the media that he intends to faithfully execute his duties to the best of his ability.

“In this appointment and as I have been before as the IT manager, I’ve always tried to ensure that we plan and execute to the highest of standards and ensure that everything is done transparently and according to the law,” he said.

Giddings served as an information technology manager at the commission for several years and he believes that this post has qualified him for his new role.

“My actions before would speak for themselves. I’ve been with GECOM for quite some time, I’ve been there for the 2018 Local Government Elections, the 2020 general elections, the national recount expertise and I at no point in time was I ever cautioned or called out on misconduct at the level of the commission,” Giddings added.

Giddings said he expects some hiccups, but he intends to work along with all the commissioners.

“I do expect some ups and downs, but at the end of the day, the commission is a collective and it is headed by the chairman. There are always debates and discussions at that level and at the end of the day there is a decision made and that decision will direct myself how to proceed. While I foresee some issues, I have no doubt that I will be able to proceed.”

Meanwhile, as Guyana prepares for Local Government Elections (LGE) and Nomination Day, Giddings indicated that his focus will be on ensuring that these events occur without any hiccups.

Giddings received the votes of the three government-appointed commissioners. In contrast, the opposition-appointed commissioners opposed the former IT manager’s appointment.

The deciding vote was cast by Chairperson of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh in favour of Giddings.

The DCEO post was left vacant after the former office holder, Roxanne Myers, was booted from the position in August 2021.

Myers’ termination stemmed from the successful passage of three motions which were filed calling for her, Keith Lowenfield and Clairmont Mingo to be summarily dismissed.

When the matter was finally put to a vote, it received the support of the GECOM Chairperson.

GECOM in 2022, re-advertised the DCEO post, along with a few other positions.