Hiring of top officials to be transparent, within short timeframe – GECOM

…as publishing ads to fill positions begin today

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has mandated that the appointment of officials to fill top spots within its apparatus would be done transparently and with efficiency.
Positions to be filled are that of the Chief Elections Officer, Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Assistant Chief Elections Officer, Chief Accountant, Legal Officer, Logistics Manager, and Civic and Voter Education Manager.
At its statutory meeting held on Tuesday, the Commission approved advertising for the seven senior positions to be filled. A statement reassured, “The Commission is adamant that the hiring process would be transparent and the process could be completed effectively within the shortest time possible, so that the work programme of the agency could proceed.”
Advertising will commence today and last for a two-week duration using a combination of media, including, but not limited to, newspapers, radio, television, GECOM’s website and GECOM’s Facebook page.
Interested applicants are advised to fully utilise the GECOM website for details pertaining to the respective positions and their full job descriptions. Signed applications can also be submitted electronically via email to [email protected].
The advertisements are seeking persons to fill the vacancies following the dismissal of former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, his former deputy CEO Roxanne Myers, and former Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.
After several delays and legal proceedings, Lowenfield, Myers, and Mingo were dismissed from their respective positions at the GECOM on August 12, 2021, following a vote by the seven-member Commission. In a statement announcing the terminations, which came after weeks of deliberation on the motions, GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, indicated that the services of Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo would be terminated effective August 18, 2021, and they would be compensated in accordance with provisions in their contracts.
Justice Claudette Singh disclosed that CEO Lowenfield was dismissed via Clause 9 of his contract, which stipulates that his services can be terminated by giving him three months’ notice, or payment in lieu thereof.
Regarding the DCEO and the RO, their contracts similarly stated that the Commission may, at any time, terminate their employment by giving them three months’ notice, or payment in lieu thereof.
Government-nominated Commissioners Sase Gunraj, Bibi Shadick and Manoj Narayan had brought motions on June 1, 2021 calling for the dismissal of Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo from GECOM. The trio are before the courts on a number of electoral charges relative to their alleged attempts to sway the results of the March 2020 General and Regional Elections in favour of the then ruling A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government.
After those officials were removed last month, GECOM’s discussions shifted to filling those critical positions. In fact, it was only on Tuesday at the statutory meeting that the Commission was able to finalise the advertisements for these positions.
The Chief Election Officer, according to GECOM, is required to play the “key leadership role in the Secretariat” with responsibility for implementing all aspects of its operations and ensuring that results are achieved in keeping with Guyana’s laws and the agency’s policies.
The deadline for submission of applications from interested parties is October 14, 2021. (G12)