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Coalition will take GECOM’s decisions “into consideration” – Norton
Minister of Social Cohesion and People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Vice Chair, George Norton, has assured that the coalition Government will take into consideration the decisions made by Justice Claudette Singh-led Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
PNCR Vice Chair, George Norton
During a PNCR press conference at Congress Place, yesterday, Norton congratulated the new GECOM Chairwoman on her appointment to the post, and lauded her for her record as an independent and impartial actor.
The Minister said, “The appointment of Justice Claudette Singh means that the Elections Commission has a Chairperson again. It is properly constituted and can continue to prepare for the conduct of free, fair, timely and credible elections.”
The Commission can now reconvene statutory meetings and make decisions on pressing issues. The most pressing one is the question of when General and Regional Elections will be held. And on top of that, the commission could decide on whether to suspend the current House to House Exercise.
Due to the passing of the No Confidence Motion and the subsequent rulings – last by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) – elections must be held as soon as possible. Chief Justice Roxane George has acknowledged that elections should be held by September 18, 2019 – three months after the CCJ’s final ruling.
But GECOM embarked on a process of House to House Registration from Saturday, July 20, last. Kaieteur News is in possession of the work plan which shows that the process will culminate in February 2020 with the distribution of identification cards.
The Opposition contends that a period of claims and objections will suffice to prepare the current list for free, credible and timely elections. The Chief Elections Officer of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield, has reportedly said that the list can be refreshed.
But the Government argues that House to House is the only process that will produce a credible list for the next election.
All of this is on the table of the Commission. If elections are held before September 18, that could be done by way of a suspension of House to House registration.
Whatever the commission’s decision is, Norton said, “The Coalition government has demonstrated to all and sundry that it is a law-abiding Coalition.”
He said that as the commission is about to meet, “we will certainly take into consideration decisions that are made by the Chair of the Commission who we support.”
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