Two judges, three lawyers in new GECOM list

May 03, 2017 News

A second list of nominees for the all important post of Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has been submitted, and it includes the names of two former judges and a magistrate.
According to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, the list was submitted to President David Granger yesterday and includes the names of six persons.
The nominees are Justice of Appeal B.S. Roy (ret’d); Justice William Ramlall (ret’d); Oneidge Walrond-Allicock – a lawyer and former magistrate; businessman Gerald ‘Gerry’ Gouveia; Kashir Khan and Nadia Sagar. The last two are also lawyers.
President Granger will now have to decide whether the names on the list are acceptable to him. He can reject the list and ask for a fresh one or move to name a chairman of his own choosing.
According to Jagdeo in a statement, arriving at the six names was not easy.
His first list was rejected that the President in January who said then that the persons did not meet the requirements.
“I embarked upon an elaborate and protracted public and private consultative process which lasted several weeks, during which I solicited the views of, and sought nominations from, many nationally renowned persons and various important stakeholders’ and representative organizations, in my efforts to ensure that I present six names to the President who satisfy the requirements contemplated by Article 161(2) of the Constitution,” Jagdeo explained yesterday.
He said that former Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Desiree Bernard; Justice Claudette Singh (ret’d); Ralph Ramcharan SC and attorneys-at-law Timothy Jonas and Ronald Burchsmith.
“It will be observed, that in respect of the names which I submitted to the President, one (1) is a former Judge of the Court of Appeal of Guyana; one (1) is a former Judge of the High Court of Guyana; three (3) are Attorneys-at-law with over ten (10) years of good standing at the Guyana Bar and one (1) is a former Magistrate and therefore, qualify to be Judges of a Court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in Guyana, in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana; and one (1) is a former Captain of the Guyana Defence Force, a Pilot, and a Businessman and Entrepreneur,” said Jagdeo in his statement yesterday.
The stalemate for the critical GECOM chairman position came after Dr. Steve Surujbally, who held that position for over a decade and a half, signaled his intentions to retire. He left earlier this year.
The administration and the Opposition have been at odds as to the criteria for choosing a new Chairperson. President Granger had made it clear that he believes that candidate should have legal background and not be an activist, among other things.

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