ABCE diplomats raise concern of impact to investment

…during meeting with GECOM on elections preparedness

Members of the American, British, Canadian and European (ABCE) diplomatic community on Thursday met with officials from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) during which concerns were raised about the impact the current political situation can have on potential investment opportunities.

The diplomats met with GECOM’s Chairman, Commissioners and members of the Commission’s secretariat after Chairman of the entity, retired Justice James Patterson used his deciding vote to pass the motion to inform the President that General Elections cannot be held by the constitutional March 19, 2019 deadline.
The foreign delegation at the meeting included Canadian High Commissioner, Lilian Chatterjee; Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States (US) Embassy, Terry Steers Gonzalez; Deputy High Commissioner of the United Kingdom (UK), Ray Davidson, and Minister Counsellor/Deputy Head of the European Delegation, Philippe Coessens.
During the meeting, the diplomats posed questions and sought clarification from the GECOM representatives on elections preparations.
Speaking with reporters following the more than two-hour engagement, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) nominated Commissioner at GECOM, Sase Gunraj, disclosed that several concerns were also expressed by the diplomats.
“…one member of the delegation we just met, made it very clear to us and brought it to our attention that the current impasse that the country finds itself in is affecting the inward flow of investments into this country. And that recognition by this person with whom we meet is a recognition that this country ought to come to. The longer this situation continues, it affects the livelihood and progress this country will make,” Gunraj asserted.
Nevertheless, the Commissioner said that they also highlight their already-public position on the entire issue regarding the holding of polls. He said that the emissaries were also told of apparent delay tactics, including the latest issue of funding at the Elections Commission.
“I said to them democracy is not a cheap thing, democracy is a costly thing; and elections and the holding of elections is an integral part of that democracy. I described it in that meeting [that] it’s a very fragile democracy that Guyana enjoys and…that starvation of funds to the Commission for the holding of elections, I believe, provides a fetter to the Commission to effectively carry out its functions… That was made every clear to the (diplomats),” Gunraj stated.
Adding to this, another PPP Commissioner, Bibi Shadick, who is also a lawyer by profession, posited that the law is clear in that GECOM funds are a lump sum subvention drawn directly from the Consolidated Fund and should be disbursed to the agency as a lump sum within one month of the passage of the Appropriation Bill.
“The CEO (Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield) said GECOM is not yet in possession of the subvention that was voted for and so, in withholding that money from GECOM, the Executive no longer exists. The Government of this country is stymieing the work of GECOM. Other than that, I know as a matter of fact and law, the monies that are given to constitutional agencies are spent by those agencies in carrying out their duties and if some of those duties become priority or emergency then the money has to be used for that,” Shadick contended.

Integral
Nevertheless, Commissioner Gunraj further told reporters that international bodies such as the ABCE community, can be very integral in effecting changes.
“But they were very receptive to whatever we had to say including the diverting views between Commissioners. I hope it falls on very fertile ears and perhaps they can assist us in coming out of this conundrum in which we find ourselves,” the PPP Commissioner stated
However, the GECOM Commissioners, both from the Government and PPP sides, indicated that there was no suggestion or advice given by the diplomats during the meeting.
“There were no suggestions, merely questions and expressions of appreciation that they now have a better understanding of things,” Government nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander told reporters.