PPP questions Gov’t vetting of GECOM nominees
- asks whether views are those of President or his reps
PPP executive, Gail Teixeira, has written to Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, requesting clarity over the classifications assigned on Tuesday to the list of persons nominated by the Opposition for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairman.
In a letter penned yesterday, Teixeira, who is acting as one of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo’s representatives in the negotiations, made enquiries about the terminologies used in the vetting of the list, from which they were informed that five of the 11 names put forward were rejected. The use of phrases such as “tending toward acceptability”, “no objection” and “shortlisted” brought Teixeira to question whether this meant those names were “not unacceptable” to the President.
Furthermore, she questioned whether the views expressed at the meetings were those of the President or merely his representatives, noting that if the “names “hammered out” at these engagements are still required to obtain the acceptability of the President, then these engagements would have been, largely, futile, if not, perfunctory”.
“We agreed to this engagement to effectuate the `good faith’ admonitions enunciated by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which must preponderate engagements between the President and the Leader of the Opposition. We, therefore, expect that the President’s Representatives will be duly authorized to make commitments at these engagements in their capacity as conduits of the President. Unfortunately, these engagements, thus far, have failed these expectations, hence, our enquiries above,” she explained.
On Monday, Teixeira, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall and PPP/C Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill, met with Vice President and Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan, Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence and Harmon, who stood in representation of the President.
However, rather than discussing the list of 11 nominees proffered by the Opposition for GECOM Chair, Government’s representatives instead presented their own list of names, suggesting an additional eight people, including former Chairman, retired Justice James Patterson. Tuesday’s meeting discussed the 11 names tendered by Jagdeo.
In Teixeira’s letter to Harmon, she noted that there were a number of issues about which they needed to seek clarification.
“At the meeting, we were informed that four (4) of the names on the list of 11 nominees, “appropriately adjusted from the original 18 names of 2017”, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition to the President on July 5th, 2019, for consideration for the appointment of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), were given the following labels: “no objection”, “tending towards acceptability” and “short listed”. You would recall that our specific enquiry of whether these four names are “not unacceptable” to the President was answered in the negative,” Teixeira stated.
“In the circumstances, we now enquire of the meaning and purport of the terms “no objection”, “tending towards acceptability” and “short listed”. We further and specifically enquire, hereof, whether these names are “not unacceptable” President,” she added.
Teixeira then noted that they were informed that two of the submitted names were singled out as being “pending/under active consideration”, and to the
enquired of the meaning of those terminologies, asked before whom the names are pending and under whose consideration they are active (whether it be the President or his representatives), and whether those names were found to be “not unacceptable” to the President.
“Five of the names submitted were rejected with reasons proffered. Is the decision to reject these names and the reasons proffered therefore, the President’s, or those of his Representatives?” she further enquired.
Teixeira then reiterated the party’s commitment and availability to meet at any time to “advance and expeditiously conclude” the process, while expressing disappointment that the President’s representatives were unable to meet yesterday to continue the engagement.
She also advised Harmon that the letter and any response received to it will be disclosed to the CCJ before tomorrow when the court is to issue consequential orders on the GECOM Chairman and the motion of no confidence. Teixeira therefore sought a reply from Harmon by 12 noon today.