Latest update November 23rd, 2024 1:00 AM
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Retired Judge heads investigation into hiring practices at GECOM
Retired Caribbean Judge, Justice Stanley Moore
Retired Caribbean Judge, Stanley Moore, is heading a team appointed by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) to investigate hiring practices at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
The team includes human resources consultant, Jairam Petam, and former Deputy Commissioner of Police, Lloyd Smith.
According to the ERC, the three-man team was given three weeks to complete the investigation and submit a report. Kaieteur News understands that the team should have completed its work by now.
“During the process, they requested an extension which has been granted,” the ERC noted.
The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has pursued claims that Indo-Guyanese were not provided with a fair opportunity for employment by GECOM.
PPP Commissioners at GECOM expressed the opinion that race played a role in Vishnu Persaud being voted down for the position of Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO).
Commissioners Robeson Benn, Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shadick favoured Persaud, who held the position up until 2017 when his contract expired.
Persaud was the top-ranked candidate for the job, but using the existing process at the Commission, GECOM Chairman, James Patterson, used his casting vote on the seven-member Commission against Persaud’s appointment.
The number-two ranked applicant, Roxanne Myers received support from Patterson and the Government Commissioners, Desmond Trotman, Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin.
The PPP Commissioners had taken their concerns to the ERC.
Chairman of GECOM, Justice James Patterson (ret’d) had told Kaieteur News that the system used for the hiring of staff at the entity has been in place for decades.
Patterson had stated that following the PPP claims, he checked the ethnicity of the staff which revealed that Afro-Guyanese amounted for 46%, Indo-Guyanese 21%; Mixed-race, 20%; Amerindians, 12%; and Others, one percent.
Members of the PPP had claimed that the staff of the Commission did not reflect the ethnic composition of the country. Senior positions were held by Afro-Guyanese, they said.
The ERC was re-established earlier this year and continues in its efforts to engage national stakeholders across the country.
Recently, ERC Commissioners met with senior officials of the Guyana Defence Force, the Police and the Guyana Fire and Prison Services.
Councillors of the Regional Democratic Councils of Regions Two, three, Five and Ten were also visited by the ERC at their respective offices at Anna Regina, Essequibo, West Demerara, Fort Wellington, West Coast Berbice and McKenzie, Linden.
Meaningful discussions on the promotion of harmony, unity and good relations were held and agreements reached for collaboration on this national venture.
Similar meetings are planned for other Regions this month.
The ERC has met with President David Granger; Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo; representatives from the ten constituencies from which it is constituted; some Diplomatic missions and the Private Sector Commission.
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