Teixeira calls on Police to investigate Norton’s threats to GECOM Chair

– to write int’l, diplomatic communities on Opposition’s intimidation tactics

Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira is calling on the Guyana Police Force to launch an investigation into the threats and acts of intimidation by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton against the Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Retired Justice Claudette Singh.
In addition to calling on the Police Force to investigate these threats, Teixeira also wants leaders of civil society and women’s rights organisations, in particular, to come out and call fowl on the misogynistic bullying of the GECOM Chair.
Moreover, the Minister also indicated that she will be formally writing the diplomatic and international community with regards to the targeting and threats to Justice Singh, as well as Norton’s “dastardly plot” to undermine GECOM and the electoral system in Guyana.

The Opposition Leader has recently declared that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) will continue to put pressure on GECOM and its Chairperson to get her to resign. In fact, he said, “…we have left the door open. We hope we don’t have to close it and Claudette Singh will do the decent thing and resign… pressure her to resign or face unspecified action.”
According to Minister Teixeira on Friday, these remarks by the Opposition Leader, along other APNU/AFC supporters, need to be urgently investigated by the Police Force. She reminded that the GECOM Chair is a retired Judge and in other countries like the United States, such threats are considered a criminal offence.
“Clearly Mr Norton, his party, and the APNU+AFC coalition have not deviated from these bullyism and intimidation tactics which we witnessed during the [David] Granger administration,” the Minister reminded.
Teixeira noted that these threats by Norton against Justice Singh are reflective of actions displayed by the APNU/AFC coalition since 2020 when she agreed to conduct a national recount of the votes cast at the March 2 General and Regional Elections.

“These threats and verbal attacks expose a sinister plot to bully and intimidate a former Judge and the Chairperson of a constitutional body, the Guyana Elections Commission, one of the highest in the land which is established to protect the right of the Guyanese people to vote for a Government of their choice in freely and fairly managed elections,” the missive detailed.
The Minister further recalled the “misogynistic and racist” attacks by the coalition and its supporters on Justice Singh along with Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch, and former Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Lilian Chatterjee during the five-month period of the post-March 2020 elections.
In fact, such threats to the GECOM Chair on Facebook were previously reported to the Police and the Cyber Crime Unit thus resulting in at least one APNU supporter being charged under the Cybercrime Act.
The Governance Minister posited that it cannot be coincidental that these women were vilified and threatened for their forthright support for constitutional rule of law and democracy.

“Mr Norton and his party cannot accept any person that opposes their interest and stands in their way for their thirst for power, more so women daring to stand up for what is right. This is evident even within their own party in his abhorrent treatment as the newly elected leader of his party of former General Secretary, Amna Ally, a woman who served her party loyally for 53 years,” the statement detailed.
Further, it stated that, “Retired Justice Claudette Singh has loyally served her country for decades, she has guarded her integrity and her adherence to the Constitution and rule of law. These threats are unacceptable in any civilised society and must not be allowed to continue without consequences. The only way that “bully boy” Norton and his supporters will understand that Guyanese are decent, respectful people who will not accept such threats, is if they feel their rejection of this cowardly behaviour.”
To this end, Teixeira sounded a series of calls in an attempt to stop Norton’s intimidating behaviour.
In response to the Opposition claims that she sides with the government-nominated Commissioners on the Elections Commission, Justice Singh told reporters last week that she always acts in conformity with the laws of Guyana.
The GECOM Chair was adamant that with her background as a former Judge, she always endeavours to make decisions fairly.
“I am not aware that I do something like that. Anything I do, I do in accordance with the law. And I try, as a former Judge, I always try to uphold the rule of law. But there will be criticisms.”
“If you sit on the bench and you make an adverse decision, the party that loses would say you’re biased, you take a bribe, whatever. So, there’s always a way they can criticise the decision. That’s up to them,” she asserted.
Further, Justice Singh went on to add that “when the time comes, I will leave”.