An attempt to intimidate Chief Election Officer

Dear Editor,

It would be remiss of us, the three government-nominated Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), not to comment on the missive of Shadick, Gunraj and Benn, the self- proclaimed partisan GECOM Commissioners of the PPP/C, which calls upon GECOM to “immediately start preparations for elections”.

In the first instance, they know that the Secretariat was given a directive to do all in its powers to acquire materials and to undertake non-statutory activities in preparation for elections, albeit the date was still to be determined; and that statutory activities could only be undertaken if a date for elections has been determined and/or the relevant directive given to the Chief Election Officer. They also know that GECOM requested supplementary funding for the early conduct of elections and that the National Assembly acquiesced to that request although the PPP/C absented itself from that sitting of the Assembly. So what are they calling for, apart from attempting to intimidate the Secretariat into action for which it has not been given a directive?

What should be of concern is the need for a Chairman of the Commission to be appointed, for it is then and only then that the Secretariat can be given the relevant directives, some of which will be determined by the date on which the elections are proclaimed to be held.

All that has been pointed-out above is in keeping with the Rule of Law, rather than the cockeyed attempt to intimidate the Chief Election Officer into action without the requisite basis or authority.

Yours faithfully, Vincent Alexander Charles Corbin Desmond Trotman GECOM Commissioners