APNU says no plans to recall GECOM Commissioners to give WIN inclusion

Notwithstanding the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) losing its position as the main Parliamentary opposition, the leader of that party, Aubrey Norton, on Friday shut down any considerations of the party removing any of the current APNU–appointed Commissioners on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to make way for any new Commissioners to be appointed by the new main parliamentary opposition, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN).

The three Opposition appointed members of the seven–member GECOM are appointed by the Leader of the Opposition (LOO). Following the September 1 General and Regional Elections (GRE) WIN, which is headed by United States (US)-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, won 16 seats. APNU only earned 12 making WIN the main parliamentary opposition and likely to select the next LOO. The parliamentary opposition also includes one seat for the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), headed by former APNU Executive Amanza Walton-Desir. With APNU losing its position as the main parliamentary opposition party and the LOO position, Norton was questioned on Friday, at the party’s weekly virtual press conference, about his willingness to consult with the Commissioners about resigning to make way for WIN to perhaps select some candidates. Norton was quick to shut down the notion.
“I don’t know that I want to do that… Because I don’t think it is the best thing for me to do at this stage,” Norton stated curtly.
“The law determines that and as far as I understand it… we agreed on a permanent commission. As far as I am aware there is nobody with the authority to remove anybody from the Commission except the person [who is] on the Commission decides that [to resign]. There is no law to remove them.”
GECOM’s seven-member commission comprises the Chairman, three Government appointed Commissioners and three opposition Commissioners. The appointments are governed by the Constitution (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2000. The current Opposition–nominated Commissioners are Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman.
The Government Commissioners are Sase Gunraj, Clement Rohee and Manoj Narayan, who were appointed in 2015, 2020 and 2023 respectively. A new set of Commissioners can be appointed when the Government changes. However, many times the same Commissioners simply switch sides from being Opposition nominated to becoming a Government nominated. With no fixed terms being stipulated in the Constitution for their appointment, Commissioners usually serve until they resign or otherwise become unable to serve. Alexander has been on the Commissioner since the early 2000s, outlasting Government changes across the 2011, 2015, and 2020 elections. Corbin was also appointed in the early 2000s. Trotman was appointed in 2017 to replace a Commissioner who passed away that year.