No meeting as ailing GECOM chairman told to take more rest

Jan 09, 2019 News

A planned meeting of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) did not come off yesterday, further delaying key decisions of the body, ahead of looming general elections.
The reason is because the chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson, has been ordered to take more rest.
After falling ill and being hospitalized last month, Patterson set January 8, 2019 for the next meeting.

GECOM’s chairman, Retired Justice, James Patterson

However, GECOM yesterday announced that his medical leave has been extended following a visit to his doctor on January 7, 2019.
“The Chairman had earlier indicated that that he would resume duty on 8th January, 2019 and to reconvene a statutory meeting after being absent since early December due to illness. While, the Chairman has been recovering well, he was advised by his doctor to have some additional rest to ensure that he fully recovers to effectively resume duty,” GECOM said in a statement.
The commission said that Patterson will provide further updates on his resumption.
The 85-year-old official, who was appointed after President David Granger said he was paying attention to the “Fit and Proper” criteria, missed a statutory meeting of commissioners last month because of illness.
He was then transferred from the Davis Memorial Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, D’Urban Backlands, to Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital where tests and procedures were performed.
The Chairman was said to have been in the Intensive Care Unit.
Prior to missing the December 4, 2018 meeting because he was ill, the Opposition commissioners had walked out the week before.
The commission would have been just coming out of Local Government Elections held on November 12, 2018.
Reports of the elections as well as other critical issues were set to be discussed.
GECOM has six commissioners, excluding the Chairman. Three commissioners are nominated by the Government and three from the Opposition.
In October 2017, Patterson was sworn in by President David Granger to one of the most critical positions.
GECOM is an independent entity tasked with overseeing General Elections and LGE.
The positions are jealously guarded by political parties with the chairman post being something of a hot-seat.
GECOM would take centre stage at this time as a no-confidence vote against the Government coalition occurred last month with elections likely in a few months, unless the administration has its own way and has a stay granted by the courts.
There have been concerns whether GECOM would be ready for general elections and with delays now due to the health of the chairman, there are even more concerns.

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