‘GECOM Chair goes it alone’

Jan 20, 2023 News

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…unilaterally creates, makes appointment to new post

Kaieteur News – Opposition Commissioners have raised concerns over the creation of a temporary administrative post by Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice Claudette Singh (retired) to carry out the functions of the Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO).

Commissioner, Vincent Alexander told the Kaieteur News that the GECOM Chair not only created the temporary Operations Coordinator post to overshadow the DCEO office, but has also selected a less suitable person to hold the position despite some eight applications sitting in the system for over six months. Alexander told the newspaper that the GECOM Chair has no authority to create positions or to appoint persons to senior posts. “She has done both and in doing so while the Commission was kept in the dark from November 9, 2022, to January 10, 2023.” Alexander said the temporary position “is approximate to that of the DCEO which they have not filled although there are applicants dating back over six months. So, they filled the temporary position with an applicant for DCEO who is less suitable than other applicants including one who is a long serving officer of GECOM,” Alexander explained.

He highlighted that GECOM never had a position called the Operations Coordinator. He said it was done by the GECOM chair without reference to the Commission. Alexander said that the Commissioners only learnt about the new post when they happened to see a carbon copy to the new office. When questions were asked of the Chairperson regarding the post, Alexander said they were informed that they would receive all documents about the placement. What was received, he continued, was a letter of approval for the Operations Coordinator post and the job description. Alexander said that based on the job description, the office’s functions take on that of the DCEO.

He said that the Opposition backed Commissioners on more than one occasion reminded of the empty DCEO post in the past and requested the Chair to act on the matter. To that, Alexander claimed that the Chair insisted that she was preoccupied with preparations for the Local Government Elections and would be looking at the matter later. It was puzzling to the Opposition Commissioners, Alexander said, when they later learnt that the GECOM’s Informational Technology (IT) Manager had been selected for the Operations Coordinator post. This individual had also applied to be the DCEO but lacks the experience to hold the senior position. It is therefore unclear how the IT Manager was selected for a post covering the task of the DCEO when there were more suitably qualified applicants. Alexander reasoned, that GECOM’s current CEO had related the pressure he was under in fulfilling his tasks and had noted the need for assistance.

Alexander said that if the intent was to provide the assistance to the CEO, then the more suitable Assistant Chief Elections Officer (ACEO), with the knowledge and experience of the job should have been engaged. He said reasons of experience and long service to the GECOM were related as to why the current ACEO should hold that post. Alexander said the same consideration should have been given rather than hiring a technical staff to act in the administrative position.

Alexander believes that there was a deliberate attempt by the Chairperson and others to hide the hiring of the technical staff. He explained that there were instances when the acting IT Manager sat in GECOM meetings for the Manager and when he asked the reason for the acting IT Manager sitting in for the Manager, the response was that the task was “delegated” to him. Alexander says he now understands that since then, the temporary post was filled by the IT Manager, hence him being unable to attend meetings in that capacity.

When asked about the Opposition’s response to the current situation, Alexander said they are uncertain of “recourse since they (GECOM) are seeking to vote retroactively on the matter.” His understanding of the retroactive vote, Alexander said, is that the post is now filled and GECOM will vote to backdate the holding of the post.

Alexander believes however, that the creation of the new post is part of a structured move to have a certain person fill the DCEO post. He opined that since the IT Manager lacks experience for the post, the trick is to have him work in the Operations Coordinator post to gain particular knowledge and experience that will then increase his changes of securing the DCEO job.  Alexander described the situation as “contrived” as with other situations where normal procedures were not followed by the GECOM in hiring persons.

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• Deputy Chief Elections Officer, GECOM, Justice Claudette Singh, Opposition Commissioners, Vincent Alexander

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