A New and United Guyana (ANUG), one of the new political parties, that contested the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, has reiterated its call for Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield to be fired.
Chairman of ANUG, Timothy Jonas
Lowenfield was given another chance on Monday to submit the correct elections report after he blatantly disregarded directives given to him three times before by the Commission, headed by Retired Justice Claudette Singh.
On Monday, following a fraudulent report submitted by Lowenfield on Saturday in his attempt to disregard the winner of the elections, he was given another chance by Singh to redeem himself.
However, this did not go down well with many, with ANUG saying that the Chair of GECOM continues to indulge Lowenfield in his gross professional misconduct.
“Lowenfield’s willful disobedience, recalcitrant and contemptuous attitude through his submission of fraudulent numbers and failure to attend a meeting of national importance scheduled on Saturday 11th July warrants not only summary dismissal but immediate criminal investigation,” ANUG said in a statement.
The party pointed out that the CEO has frustrated the work of the Commission in delivering a declaration of the March 2, 2020 elections results, and has undermined the Commission’s fundamental duty of ensuring “impartiality, fairness and compliance” under Article 162 (1) (b) of the Constitution.
“ANUG once again reminds the Commission of its duty under this Article, and cautions against the catastrophic consequences of breach of its duty.” The party pointed out that where a democratic institution is populated at its highest level of office with persons operating under the influence of partisan forces in a conspiracy to subvert the will of the people, as expressed in an election, those sacred and protected rights of the people set out in Article 9, are desecrated by the very organ designed to protect it.
It added that Article 9 enjoys the deepest level of entrenchment in the Constitution and vests the right of the people to the exercise of sovereignty through their democratically elected representatives.
“Guyana’s democracy has returned to a most tenuous state as in the days of rigged elections. We call on the Chair of GECOM to end this now, to dismiss the ignoble CEO and get on with the business of GECOM within its constitutional mandate,” ANUG stated.
As pressure mounts for Lowenfield to be fired, the smaller political parties over the weekend also echoed similar sentiments. These parties – The Citizenship Initiative (TCI) and The New Movement, called for GECOM to invoke Article 161A (1) of the Constitution and take disciplinary actions against Lowenfield.
