GTUC welcomes appointment of Claudette Singh

The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) yesterday welcomed the consensual appointment of retired Justice Claudette Singh, SC to the post of Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and urged that the body be able to function without political interference.

“After years of the position being held by a man, this is a plus for inclusion, gender equity and another achievement for women in leadership roles in our society”, the GTUC said in a statement.

It added that Justice Singh’s appointment comes at a very crucial time. The new GECOM Chairman was named on Friday and sworn in on Monday.

“We are in a period where persons are being made afraid to trust, where the lines between right and wrong, good and bad are becoming blurred and dependent on who is doing to, or saying what about whom. Justice Claudette Singh is a breath of fresh air in a highly toxic environment. Her role at GECOM is expected to enhance the confidence reposed in this Office’, the trade union umbrella body said.

It said that in this process it is not about who wins election but the small man must have the confidence that his/her vote counts.

“GTUC today places that trust and confidence in Justice Claudette Singh S.C”, the GTUC said.

It added that it expects that having agreed on the chairman, both sides- Government and Opposition- will give her the necessary cooperation”, the GTUC warned.

“There should be more positive engagement that will not result in walkout but will see both sides hammering out differences at the level of the commissioners. Any attempt to bully or usurp Justice Singh’s role and authority, to denigrate and vilify or unjustly seek to undermine her integrity and the office of GECOM will not be tolerated”, the GTUC warned.

It said that all parties concerned should be encouraged by her statement of commitment to free, fair and transparent election.

It added that the “integrity of the vote is not limited to what goes into the ballot box or what is counted from the ballot box, but the initial process of registration to the final process of declaration, as had been Guyana’s experience”.

It called on all politicians and those with a vested interest in interfering in the operations of this institution to leave GECOM to function independent of their interference.