Urgent need for a neutral Gecom board

Jul 30, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

Assuming for technical reasons, the elections cannot be held by Sept 18th, this will probably mean the parliament must be called back into session to extend the life of the government for say, one month. This act will require a 2/3 majority vote.
If the 2/3 majority can be provided (needs cooperation of both PPP and PNC), that vote should also be used to reform the Gecom Board to make it a non-political Board.
The political class has got to recognize that party representatives sitting on the Board are there for one purpose only, namely, to seek out every advantage for their party, and this is not necessarily for a clean, above board elections.
The spectacle of Gecom Commissioners dueling out differences in the media shows the Board is extremely politicized. Conduct of elections should not and must not be a partisan political matter.
The new chairperson, Justice Claudette Singh should be visionary and bold to write both party leaders: ask them to extend the life of the parliament and at the same time use the 2/3 vote to replace party representatives on Gecom’s Board with neutral, experienced and professional folks.
A failure to rid the Board of party representatives would mean the Chairperson has to vote on almost every issue to break the tie vote. A Chairperson should not be given that burden on every single issue. The great risk for the new Chairperson is that once she starts casting her vote to break ties, she will be perceived as a partisan for one side or the other. And, there goes the credibility of the Elections Commission.
Guyana needs a certifiable neutral Gecom Board. Politicians have no business to be sitting on that Board.
Mike Persaud

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