Probe into GECOM’s hiring practices completed – ERC

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), which has been probing the hiring practices of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for several months has completed its investigations.

GECOM’s hiring practices were brought under the microscope after the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) GECOM Commissioners Bibi Shadick, Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn pointed out flaws regarding the ethnic composition of the workforce of the secretariat of the Commission. The commissioners had alleged that a majority of the staff of the Commission were persons of one ethnicity.
On Monday, Chairman of the ERC, Reverend John Smith in an invited comment told Guyana Times that the next move for the ERC is to meet with the complainants.
Smith told this publication that he could not share the findings from that probe until the Commission meets with the complainants. The Chairman would only say that the ERC is expected to hold its statutory meeting on Thursday, where a date for the meeting with the PPP Commissioners will be discussed.
Meanwhile, PPP Commissioner Bibi Shadick told this publication that she was unaware that the probe was completed while complaining that she was not satisfied with the lengthy time it took the Commission to complete the investigation.
“These people took their own time. I don’t know that anything should’ve taken so long but apparently that’s the pace,” Shadick said.
Shadick, nevertheless, admitted that the commissioners were informed of some challenges the ERC encountered while trying to extract facts from GECOM.
The PPP Commissioner further noted that she believes the ERC should have been able to verify the information they provided in a more timely manner.
“The report, I think, should have been sent to us but it wasn’t. I don’t know who they sent it to but we are the ones who made the complaint and I would imagine it should have been sent to us,” she added.
Retired Judge, Justice Stanley Moore, in collaboration with former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lloyd Smith and human resources consultant Jairam Petam were to complete the investigation in three weeks during October last year. However, the time was extended as the probe widened.
The investigation was launched after People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) GECOM Commissioners Bibi Shadick, Sase Gunraj and Robeson Benn wrote a letter of complaint to the ERC, contending that there was an ethnic imbalance at GECOM and hiring practices were being manipulated in favour of one group.
After these allegations were made, the ERC had scheduled a meeting with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, where the matters were raised. The ERC also met with President David Granger at that time.
At a press conference prior to the probe, GECOM Chairman and retired Justice James Patterson had said that qualifications ultimately trumped race when filling vacancies. When asked whether deliberate efforts to achieve racial diversity were being made, Patterson had contended that deliberate efforts were being made to get the best people and that he had “no apologies” for that.
The ERC is an established constitutional body. It works with persons and agencies to promote harmonious ethnic relations. The Commission also deals with complaints, promotes training in racial harmony, and fosters a sense of security, among all ethnic groups.
The PPP/C Commissioners had registered complaints of Chairman Patterson using his post to muzzle them on the issue of hiring practices. Commissioner Benn had highlighted issues regarding the ethnic composition of the workforce of the secretariat of the Commission, having pointed out that the perception was that the vast majority of the staff of the Commission were persons of one ethnicity.
However, the Chairman disputed the Commissioner’s claim.
The PPP/C Commissioners had said that the Chairman prevented Benn from further defending his position and when challenged, adjourned the meeting for over half an hour.