Latest update January 3rd, 2025 12:04 AM
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Accusations of GECOM inaction in election impasse unfair- Chief Elections Officer
-Commission must await conclusion of legal proceedings
Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, is affirming that accusations made by the People’s Progressive
Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield
Party (PPP) against Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), of being silent and neglecting its duties, are simply unfair when one considers that the due legal process has to be followed.
Noting that the matter of the tied Local Authority Areas (LAA) and Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan’s intervention will be subject to a High Court hearing, he made it clear that at this point GECOM could not do anything.
“That is a very unfair comment,” he said of the statement from Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo’s office. “Especially as there are PPP lawyers on the Commission (Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj). This is not a conundrum. The law is very clear. So I don’t know what action they expect us to take.”
He made it clear that GECOM fulfilled its mandate, ran the Local Government Elections (LGEs) and provided results for those elections to the people of Guyana. Lowenfield also stated that GECOM was not approached by the overseers in the LAAs to indicate the ties.
Turning his attention to Bulkan’s appointments, he noted that the matter was relative to interpretation but that he could not comment favourably or unfavourably, save to say he expected Minister Bulkan would have had access to lawyers when he made his decision.
The contention arises because there had been ties in the Municipality of Mabaruma and the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) of Woodlands/Farm, Woodlands/Bel Air, the Malgre Tout and Industry/
Plaisance, following the elections.
In the aftermath of these ties, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, appointed as Mayor, Rupert Henry Smith and Deputy Mayor- Astrille Gamell for Mabaruma. In addition, Chairmen and Vice Chairmen in the tied NDCs had also been appointed.
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP), through former Attorney General Anil Nandlall subsequently moved to the High Court and has been granted an order by Judge Diana Insanally that quashed the appointments and also restrained the officials from acting in their appointed roles.
Those who were named in the documents will have to show cause why the orders should not be made absolute, with the date for the hearing set at April 20, before the Chief Justice.
Lowenfield’s defense of his agency yesterday comes after a statement from Jagdeo’s office, which criticized GECOM for remaining silent after the steps PPP took to reverse Minister Bulkan’s intervention.
The statement went as follows; “The PPP/C condemns the inertia being displayed by GECOM in the face of the gridlock which obtains in six Local Authority Organs that have been unable to elect a Mayor and
Sworn in on the day the High Court order was made, Mabaruma’s Mayor Rupert Henry Smith
Chairperson on account of an equality of votes because of the tied allocation of seats between the PPP/C and APNU+AFC at the recently concluded Local Government Elections.”
The statement continued that it is public knowledge that Minister Bulkan’s appointments have been challenged in the High Court. The party went on to say that the law mandates that an election in each of the Local Authority Areas is the next step.
“It is GECOM that the constitution has vested with the sole and exclusive mandate to conduct these impending elections.”
The statement went on to accuse GECOM of a “gross and reprehensible abdication of its constitutional mandate and statutory duty.” The party ended by issuing calls for the international community and observers to take note of the imbroglio.
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