The unavailability of the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice (retired) Claudette Singh has led to the postponement of a meeting that was scheduled today. This has occurred much to the dismay of the Opposition-nominated Commissioners, particularly, Vincent Alexander, who issued a letter to the press venting his frustration.
Alexander said with 58 days left to elections, GECOM still has several critical issues to determine. These include whether the incarcerated will vote; how the names of the those reported dead by the Commissioner of Police and the Chief Medical Officer will be deleted from the voters’ list; how the non-resident ballots will be counted; and issues related to the procurement of sensitive and non-sensitive items.
“GECOM’s Thursday meeting (July 3) has been postponed, not rescheduled, due to the unavailability of the Chairperson. GECOM however maintains its posture of readiness.
Notably, GECOM never mentions free, fair and transparent elections in its mantra of readiness. Therein lies the irony starting with its advice to the President on its state of readiness to the intended conduct of elections on September 1,” Alexander noted.
He added that while Government-nominated Commissioners criticise the Opposition Commissioners for storming out of meetings, they have remained silent to the sloth that exists now.
“It is the said GECOM and the PPP-appointed Commissioners who admonish the Opposition-appointed Commissioners for storming out of meetings in protest of GECOM’s slothful and recalcitrant approach to the essentials for free, fair and transparent elections.
“Yet, here is GECOM Chairperson’s constructive cancelation of yet another meeting, in the face of much to be done and resistance to doing much of what’s to be done,” Alexander stated.
