Chief Whips to meet with GECOM on preparedness for elections

Jan 12, 2019 News

Government’s Chief Whip, Amna Ally

Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally, who is also the Government’s Chief Whip in the National Assembly, has requested a meeting with the principals of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The meeting is supposed to allow discussions on GECOM’s readiness for elections possibility in less than three months. Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira is also supposed to be present at the meeting.
The meeting was agreed upon by President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo.
Ally told the government’s Department of Public Information (DPI) that she has already begun the process of setting up the meeting.

“Mr. (Keith) Lowenfield [Chief Elections Officer] said that he has no difficulty, but he has asked me to write to the Chairman, [Justice Retired] James Patterson of the elections commission. This, I did, speedily yesterday afternoon and the letter has been dispatched to the chairman of the elections commission as well as the chief elections officer, re

Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira

questing a meeting to have us briefed on the matter of GECOM’s preparedness for elections.”
The Government Chief Whip said she will be entering the discussion with an open mind. She said that what is vital, is to be fully briefed on how prepared the commission is for an election.

“Whether we are to have elections within 90 days, whether we are going to have elections after, I cannot anticipate them. Whatever the commission tells us, then we are going to be in a position to brief our principal on the status quo of GECOM in terms of preparedness for the elections” the Minister stated.