GECOM could possibly decide on new Chief Election Officer today

Both Vishnu Persaud and Jamaican Leslie Harrow were interviewed by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday for the vacant post of Chief Election Officer (CEO) and a decision could come as early as today.

But before a decision can be made on a possible appointment, the men were asked to submit physical copies of their academic and professional qualifications.

This information was related to Stabroek News by government-nominated Commissioner Bibi Shadick following the completion of the virtual interviews.

While Opposition-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander would only say that the interviews were successfully completed, Shadick said that the process started at 1 pm and ran until 4.15 pm.

“We had the meeting and the interviews were done. Now the Commissioners would have to do their evaluations and submit those to the Chairman and then the Chairman will take it from there,” she stated.

When asked what were some of the specific criteria looked at during the evaluation, Shadick said that she looked at determining which of the candidates is more suitable for the post within the Guyana elections context, the one more ably qualified to execute the functions of CEO and Commissioner of National Registration and the overall candidate that meets the required experience that the Commission outlined.

Based on the GECOM vacancy notice, published back in September, the CEO is expected to play the key leadership role in GECOM’s Secretariat and is tasked with the responsibility for implementing all aspects of its operations, and ensuring that results achieved are consistent with the laws of Guyana and the policies determined by the Commission. The criteria, perhaps the most important shortlisting aspect, stipulate that the CEO is required to be the holder of a Master’s Degree and have 10 years of experience in electoral matters.

The criteria have been an area of contention since their establishment with the Oppositionnominated Commissioners claiming that they are more tailored towards hiring within the Commission. Importantly, Persaud is a former employee of GECOM having served as its Public Relations Officer (PRO) for several years and as Deputy CEO during the latter years of his employment at the Commission.

GECOM is slated to meet at 1 pm today for its weekly statutory meeting and according to both Shadick and Alexander, they are hopeful for a continuation of the discussions and finalization of the CEO.

“I have no doubt that we would have more discussion because we had no meeting after the interviews because it ran very late and so whatever we have to say today would be said tomorrow (today). I am hopeful that by the end of the week we would have an appointment, I am hopeful that we would have an appointment by tomorrow evening. I am hopeful for the shortest possible time (for the selection of a CEO),” Shadick informed.

However, she did say that the possible selection may be the subject of a delay because the Commission has now requested that Persaud and Harrow authenticate their qualifications.

“I do know that the two candidates were asked to submit the original of their qualifications so that we could authenticate them … I know that Mr Harrow has much more of a challenge of producing those because Mr Persaud is here. They are to submit physical copies because there are lots of things that can happen on the computer but personally I prefer the original”, Shadick said.

Twenty candidates initially applied for the post of CEO and the names went through two rounds of shortlisting. Both sides of the Commission submitted their lists of candidates which were then integrated by the Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh and further whittled down using the required criteria. In the end, after much contention, Persaud and Harrow made it to the interview process.

The process used for hiring the CEO and DCEO has been under intense scrutiny following the allegations of misconduct against former CEO Keith Lowenfield and Deputy CEO (DCEO) Roxanne Myers. They are both before the courts on various charges stemming from the controversy over the March 2nd 2020 general elections.

Traditionally, the process employed for hiring the CEO and DCEO involves the GECOM Commissioners interviewing the shortlisted candidates and scoring them using a standard scoring sheet. They then bring the scores to the full Commission and make recommendations following which a vote is taken and the successful applicant is appointed to the post.

However, with the scrutiny and increased accusations of GECOM being partisan, Opposition-nominated

Commissioner Desmond Trotman tabled a proposal to have an independent panel appointed to conduct the interviews and then submit a report to the Commission. However, that was rejected by the Commission.

Persaud and Harrow were evaluated on a number of criteria outlined in the Commission’s score sheet. Based on the previous score sheets candidates were possibly judged on their qualifications, understanding of Guyana’s electoral laws and systems, knowledge of conducting elections, and overall understanding of the electoral landscape in Guyana among other criteria.

The candidates

Persaud has been the source of heated debate among the government and opposition sides since the latter is alleging that he does not meet the required criteria to be shortlisted for the post. The argument is that he was hired as Personal Assistant to then GECOM Chair Dr Steve Surujbally and given the job of DCEO for which he had no qualifications at the time.

Based on Persaud’s application submitted to GECOM, and seen by this publication, he says he has over 15 years of direct official involvement at GECOM in the preparation for and the conduct of general and regional elections, local government elections and cycles of continuous registration.

“The range of my work over the years include (i) performing duties as scribe to the Commission, (ii) Personal Assistant to the Chairman (de facto), (iii) Human Resource Management, (iv) preparing and implementing election and registration Work Plans, and (v) carrying out the duties of the CEO during periods of his absence,” his application letter stated.

Persaud’s CV stated that he functioned as DCEO from August 2014 to August 2017. He would later miss out on securing another three years of employment in the post after the then Chair, retired Justice James Patterson controversially voted in favour of Myers even though

Persaud was scored higher during the evaluation process.

He served as Personal Assistant to Surujbally and PRO for 13 years from 2001-2014.

Persaud is the holder of a Masters of Business Administration from Anglia Ruskin University in London, a Level 5 Certificate in Management and Leadership (Electoral Processes) from Chartered Management Institute in London, and a Diploma in Public Relations from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

Without a Bachelor’s Degree and the lack of substantive elections management experience, the Opposition side is adamant that Persaud is not suitably qualified. However, Shadick and her colleagues on the government side – Sase Gunraj and Manoj Narayan – believes that he is the most qualified.

Persaud’s application also included a recommendation from Surujbally, who said “Persaud can only be a superlative Chief Election Officer/Commissioner of Registration.”

Harrow is said to have over 20 years of experience working in the field of administration and governance. He spent over 18 of those years with the ECJ. He started as an Office Manager in 1997 and served there until January 2001. In 2002, he returned to the ECJ as the Regional Manager and served up until May 2017.

As Regional Manager at the ECJ, Harrow was responsible for the management of nine constituencies for General Elections in 2002, 2007, 2011 and Local Government Election 2003 and 2012 & UWI, Mona and Utech, Jamaica – Students’ Union Elections from 2003 to 2015.

In June 2017, he moved up as Zonal Manager. He was seconded to the ODPEM for 6 months.

“I humbly submit that with my unique blend of formal education, military exposure, leadership and management of Jamaica’s Disaster Management Agency, but most importantly, working, operational and statutory knowledge of the election process of Jamaica…I do understand the organizational and collaborative processes, synergy, personal commitment, dedication and leadership to the larger goals of GECOM, wherein, elections are fully democratic and participatory, therefore, free and fair,” his application stated.

Harrow was involved, in a leadership role, in the Jamaican national elections of 2002, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2016. As Zonal Manager, he was responsible for coordinating, supervising and managing election activities in 4 Regions – Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, St Thomas and Portland and St Mary.

He was also part of several Electoral Observer Missions – CARICOM Mission to Antigua and Barbuda in 2018, El Salvador in 2014, Turks and Caicos Island in 2012, among others.

Harrow is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Organisational Leadership at the One Way International Theological Seminary. He has a certificate in Competitive Strategy from Loyola Marymount University, USA; Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Edinburgh Napier University, UK; Postgraduate Diploma in Public Sector Senior Management Development Programme from Management Institute for National Development, Jamaica; Executive Masters of Business Administration, University of the Commonwealth Caribbean; Certificate in Project Management from Boston University, USA; Professional Master’s Degree in Operations Management, City and Guild of London Institute; Diploma in Management Studies, Jamaican Institute of Management; and Certificate in Marketing, University of the West Indies.

His application also included a letter of recommendation from Jamaican Deputy Director of Elections Earl Simpson.