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GECOM incapable of holding 2025 national elections – AFC says
Kaieteur News-Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Attorney-at-law, Nigel Hughes has expressed the view that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is incapable of holding the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
Hughes spoke briefly to members of the press outside the GECOM headquarters in Kingston on Thursday afternoon following a meeting with his party and the commission. He described the meeting between members of the AFC and GECOM officials as nothing but “disastrous.” At a subsequent press briefing, the AFC Leader sought to update media personnel on matters discussed during the three hours long meeting with the elections commission.
AFC leader, Nigel Hughes
According to Hughes, the meeting provided the party with insight on GECOM’s preparedness to manage the upcoming elections as well as the issues related to the commission’s internal management.
Hughes stated that during the discussions, Chairperson of GECOM retired Justice Claudette Singh among other things admitted that it conducted no review of the 2020 elections. “GECOM admitted it had not conducted any review of its operations. It had not conducted any review of the way in which they internally managed the 2020 elections. We enquired of them if any of the recommendations made by the [International] observers were actually implemented and they said none of those as far as they are aware,” Hughes revealed.
As it relates to enquiries made by the party regarding the continued occupation of The New Liberty Movement (TNM)’s representative Asha Kissoon of a seat in the National Assembly; Hughes said the responses from the commissioners was quite frightening.
“The Chairman of the commission said that when she sought to address the issue of Asha Kissoon, she got no mandate from the National Assembly to take any action in relation to Asha Kissoon.” “One of the commissioners refuted the claims by Chair. Another allegation made is that the decision to have Ms. Kissoon there, is because of due diligence on the part of the CEO of GECOM who failed to check the details of the documents submitted for occupation of the seat and fraud perpetuated as a result.”
Additionally, the AFC leader revealed that the chairperson of GECOM had extended the contract of the Chief Elections Officer, Vishnu Persaud for three years without the involvement of the other commissioners.
According to Hughes, Justice Singh revealed that she took the decision personally without having the consultation of the entire commission. He noted this was a clear breach of the rules of the commission.
Meanwhile, AFC Executive member, David Patterson noted that the issue of biometrics was once again raised with GECOM. Justice Singh, announced that a biometric voting system will be shelved in the upcoming electoral process. She said that implementation of the system was not possible in time for the national polls. “We enquired on what basis the use of biometrics was ruled out and we enquired of the chairperson if there was any report or study or issues with a budget on which she ruled out the use of biometrics, the responses proved to be not satisfactory,” Patterson added.
(GECOM incapable of holding 2025 national elections – AFC says)
- Attorney-at-Law, Chairperson of GECOM, GECOM headquarters, Justice Claudette Singh, Leader of the Alliance For Change, Nigel Hughes
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