Opposition leader urges GECOM to move forward with elections business - says commission part of tactic to delay polls

Opposition leader urges GECOM to move forward with elections business — says commission part of tactic to delay polls

Feb 03, 2019 News

Time is of the essence and that appears to be what Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, is saying to Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM) in light of the ruling handed down by the High Court on the No Confidence Motion.
Addressing a media conference at Freedom House on Friday, Jagdeo noted that given its mandate GECOM should move forward with the preparations for General and Regional Elections.
“The Court has ruled and GECOM should be in place where it is preparing for the elections.
“Time is going. They now have less than 90 days to prepare for the elections. However, it appears like GECOM, although it is an independent body, is part of a delaying the tactic by government to avoid the elections.”
“It would be important to note that no stay was granted against the court decision. The Chief Justice refused to grant a conservatory order or any stay, which would have stopped the timeline from ticking.”
Right now, there is a valid decision that says that the government has fallen and there must be elections within the ninety-day period. So I expect GECOM would act in accordance to that decision.”
Raising similar concerns about the upcoming polls, PPP/C Commissioner and Co-chair of GECOM Operations Committee, Sase Gunraj, issued a statement on the difficulty incurred moving fo

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

rward with the preparations for the elections.
Gunraj noted that while it is widely known that after a statutory meeting last Tuesday, it was decided that the Secretariat will provide to members of the Commission several work plans detailing the various options and the timelines regarding the holding of General and Regional Elections, the information has not been forthcoming.
“It was agreed that the said work plans would have been presented by Friday so that it can be perused and digested for discussion by members of the Operations Committee at a meeting scheduled for tomorrow.

“As at 10:30 AM yesterday, no such documents have been received. I have confirmed with at least one other member of the said Committee, who reported that he had not received same.”
The GECOM commissioner noted, too, that no excuse, or attempt at an excuse, has been forthcoming for this refusal and or neglect to provide these work plans, which should have been ready or in any event, easily prepared, from the Secretariat.
Gunraj believes that there is a deliberate ploy to delay the proceedings.
“I have had cause to comment, both within GECOM meetings and publicly, about the obvious dilatory tactics that are being employed to prevent the commencement of preparations for holding of elections in the constitutionally mandated timeline. I view this as another such delay,” he added.