GECOM Chairmanship
It would be a challenging task to compile a second list of six nominees for the post of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as potential candidates would not want to risk the humiliation of being publicly discredited by the President David Granger.
This is according to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, who was at the time defending the qualifications of the six individuals he submitted as the nominees for the vacant position, following widespread consultation with civil society. “Imagine when you look at these six persons that I have submitted, these are people who have distinguished themselves in their field, they are solid professionals. If as qualified as they are, the President does not find them as fit and proper then who
Bharrat Jagdeo
will want to put up their names and suffer the public humiliation of being classified as unfit and improper. People don’t want to go through that sort of thing and they would be reluctant to do so,” he explained. Jagdeo will decide whether or not he will embark on creating a second list of nominees following the meeting between Attorney General Basil Williams and his predecessor Anil Nandlall to find a middle ground regarding the different interpretations of the Constitution of Guyana, relative to the appointment of a new GECOM Chairperson.
During a news conference on Monday, Jagdeo expressed hopes that this meeting will actually achieve an amicable solution to the impasse between Government and the Parliamentary Opposition regarding this issue of national importance.
“We may just be going through a perfunctory exercise and at some point in time he will do as Basil Williams is saying he has the authority to do, to install someone of his choice, I hope that we do not get to that because that would lead to major contention in Guyana,” Jagdeo stated.
President Granger, during an engagement with media operatives, announced that he has rejected the list of six nominees submitted by the Opposition Leader for consideration for the appointment of a new GECOM Chairman following the resignation of Dr Steve Surujbally from that post in November last.
Granger argued that the names submitted by the Opposition Leader did not meet the constitutional requirements. Afterwards, the President officially informed the Opposition Leader of his rejection and requested that a second list be submitted.
Jagdeo subsequently requested a meeting with the Head of State to clarify the interpretations of the Constitution as he believed his nominees were constitutionally suitable for the post – especially in light of the widespread consultations he hosted prior to compiling the list.
After a prolonged period, President Granger finally responded, indicating that he will appoint his Attorney General to engage with any member of the Opposition on the matter. In his letter, the President did not offer any clarity on his interpretation of the Constitution nor did he explain why the nominees submitted were “unacceptable” as he claimed.
Already both Attorney General Basil Williams and Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan had signalled Government’s intention to activate a clause in the Constitution to allow the President to unilaterally appoint a GECOM Chair.
However, many view such a move as dangerous as it alters the democratic process regarding the appointment of a person to be tasked with overseeing the elections process in the country. But Jagdeo contends that Government’s interpretation of that clause is also erroneous. If Government moves ahead to unilaterally appoint a GECOM Chairman, Jagdeo has made it clear his intention to challenge such action.
He already indicated his preparedness to take the issue to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).
