GECOM chairmanship
… Justice BS Roy, Capt Gouveia among new nominees
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday submitted a fresh list of six candidates to President David Granger for consideration for the appointment of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). 
The six names submitted are retired Justice of Appeal BS Roy, retired Justice William Ramlall, Attorney and former Magistrate Oneidge Walrond Allicock, Attorney Kashir Khan, Attorney Nadia Sagar and Captain Gerald Gouveia.
Some of the shortlisted individuals who declined the nomination are Madam Justice Desiree Bernard, Madam Justice Claudette Singh (ret’d) SC, Ralph Ramkarran SC, and attorneys Timothy Jonas and Ronald Burchsmith.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo reminded that it was not an easy task arriving at these six names given the restrictions outlined by President David Granger. 
Granger’s conditions disqualify anyone engaged in any form of activism – gender, racial or religious; and persons affiliating with political parties.
Candidates, according to the President’s criteria, must be able to discharge his/her functions neutrally, between the two opposing parties, as he or she would have done in court between two opposing litigants. Here, the President appears to be making it a requirement for the candidate to have practiced in a court.
Additionally, the person must be able to discharge the functions without fear or favour; will not allow any person or organisation to influence him or her to compromise his or her neutrality.
The President also said that person should have a general character of honesty, integrity, faithfulness and diligence in the discharge of their duty as Chairman of GECOM.
The President had also noted that ideally, the candidate should be qualified to be a Judge of the High Court or an attorney for a minimum of seven years.
Jagdeo in the statement highlighted that the names submitted are in accordance to the President’s requirements of the candidates having a legal background and of a neutral stance.
“It will be observed, that in respect of the names which I submitted to the President, one is a former Judge of the Court of Appeal of Guyana; one is a former Judge of the High Court of Guyana; three are Attorneys-at-law with over 10 years of good standing at the Guyana Bar and one is a former Magistrate and therefore, qualify to be Judges of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in Guyana, in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana; and one is a former Captain of the Guyana Defence Force, a pilot, and a businessman and entrepreneur,” he explained.
President Granger had rejected Jagdeo’s first list of nominees, prompting a public discourse on the interpretation of the Constitution of Guyana regarding the appointment of a GECOM Chairman.
Jagdeo had previously nominated Attorney Christopher Ram, conflict resolution specialist Lawrence Lachmansingh, retired Major General Norman McLean, business executive Ramesh Dookhoo, Indian rights activist Rhyaan Shah, and History Professor James Rose, but the President had declared that that list was not acceptable on the basis that it did not include anyone who was qualified to be a Judge.
The issue has sparked a national debate on the interpretation of Article 161 of the Constitution of Guyana, with some contending that the President was right while others insist that he had erred.
Article 161 (2) states: “… the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a Judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth, or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court, or who is qualified to be appointed as any such Judge, or any other fit and proper person…”
Business Minister Dominic Gaskin’s brother, Marcel had filed legal proceedings in the High Court to review the President’s eligibility criteria for the GECOM Chairmanship.
