Dear Editor,
Former Conservative Prime Minister of Great Britain, the late Margaret Thatcher was dubbed the Iron Lady by her opponents, especially by members of the British Labour Party because of her tough stance on a number of issues espoused by her and her party. Indeed, the word iron signifies toughness, but some folks in Guyana have made the colossal mistake when they conferred the title “Iron Lady” on the retired Judge, now Chairperson of GECOM, Claudette Singh. As Guyanese would say, the proof is in the pudding, but Claudette Singh’s horrific behaviour proves otherwise. She has not even announced a date for the recount of the votes of the March 2 elections even after the High Courts in Guyana have made such ruling more than a month ago.
Out of respect for the nation, Claudette Singh should apologise for her sudden and perhaps deliberate disappearance during the spurious recount of the votes in Region Four by Mingo and Lowenfield. Whatever was her motive for abdicating her responsibility, it cannot be ethical. And this is enough proof that she is no Iron Lady. The caption in Kaieteur News on April 24, “Elections 2020 – Day 52… GECOM spends another day in meeting pussyfooting about recount details” depicts the absolute failure of Claudette Singh as the Chair of GECOM. The public expected Claudette Singh to be fair and impartial due to the equal number and partisan role of the PPP and PNC Commissioners. Many, including members and supporters of the opposition parties, are of the opinion that Claudette Singh is not impartial as required by the Representation of the People Act and the Constitution and that she is in cahoots with the powers that be. Her failure to execute her duties in a fair and responsible manner has resulted in a loss of all claim of the credibility of GECOM by a large section of the population.
It seems that her actions and behaviour at GECOM are similar to those as when she was a Judge. All the hype of her being an upright Judge should be taken with a grain of salt. I can recall vividly a land title case: Vernon E Rose vs Sherlock A Rose (my father and brother) which she presided over in Berbice during the early 1990s. What you are about to read will shock you but it seems to fit neatly with her behaviour of procrastination and poor leadership at GECOM. You do not have to believe me but the record is there as proof. The first time the case was called, she postponed it for more than a year. The second hearing was again postponed but this time for two years. The third trial lasted for less than 20 minutes when it was adjourned indefinitely with no set date to resume. Claudette Singh retired in 2007 without recalling the case and rendering a decision. It was the classic case of justice denied by no other than Claudette Singh.
Claudette Singh’s position as the Chairperson of GECOM is a constitutional appointment which means that she cannot be removed from office, irrespective of what she does. That said, she has ignored many requests from the opposition parties, local and international organisations and foreign missions in Guyana to have the recount done swiftly, fairly and transparently. She voted with the PNC Commissioners against a live streaming of the recount of the votes, which is not only proof of transparency and an end to controversy, but is also a public good. Further, her decision to recount Regions One, Two, Three and Four simultaneously is infantile. Even a schoolchild would know that such a move will create doubt and confusion and would undermine the credibility and transparency of the election. Claudette Singh continues to play games and in doing so, she is insulting the citizens of Guyana with her silliness, nefarious and suspicious actions. This suggests that she is more a part of the problem than a solution. Her performance is a clear indication that she does not have what it takes to be an Iron Lady. The truth is the title of Iron Lady should not be bestowed on weak, insipid and poor leaders. “Wimp” is a more suited title for such individuals.
It is time for the Chair of GECOM and its Commissioners to stop their idleness, stop being partial and publish the Statements of Poll (SoPs) of each district that was tabulated, verified and submitted to GECOM by the Returning Officers. The Chair of GECOM ought to know that these SoPs were posted publicly outside each Polling Station on the day the recount was completed, so by not making them public shows that she is duplicitous and has something to hide.
For almost eight weeks, the citizens of Guyana have been deprived of the March 2 elections results by GECOM, which is a violation of their fundamental rights to have their votes counted in a fair, transparent and credible manner. We believe that the Chairperson and top brass of GECOM, including its Chief Executive Officer and the PNC-appointed Commissioners are bent on stalling the recount process and are responsible for this bizarre and appalling state of affairs. They have turned GECOM into a Mickey Mouse institution. They cannot be trusted. Remember Lowenfield, the 156-day man.
We call on the Chairperson of GECOM to immediately take all necessary steps to set a start date for the recount of the votes and let it be done in the presence of international observers including the OAS, the Commonwealth and the Carter Center and the high-level Caricom team, all of which have stated that they are eager to return to make sure the votes are recounted fairly and in a transparent manner and the will of the people respected. Attempts by the Chair of GECOM to thwart the will of the people has resulted in the saying, “Iron Lady… my foot.”
Sincerely,
Dr Asquith Rose
