-all positions unopposed at election
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) yesterday declared the results of elections which were held on Monday to determine members of its Executive Council and its long-serving President Patrick Yarde is back in that post.
At a briefing held at the GPSU headquarters at Regent St and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, elections officer Godwin McPherson announc-ed the results of the elections where nominees for the various positions contested were unopposed.
Those persons elected to serve on the Executive Coun-cil are headed by President -Patrick Yarde, First Vice-President-Mortimer Livan, Second Vice –President, Dawn Gardener, Third Vice –President-Carmelita Laulys and Deputy General Secretary –Debra Murphy.
Explaining how the elections process was conducted, McPherson said that a notice was published in January this year notifying members of the GPSU of Monday’s elections. He told the media that 11 nominations were made at the end of the first round of the election process in which the posts of the President, Assistant Education Officer and Assistant Economic Research and Project officer went unopposed. McPherson noted that in the second round, under the rules of the GPSU, consultations were held with the General Secretary of the GPSU, Chandrawattie Persaud to determine the eligibility of persons nominated to contest the elections. At this point Persaud said that a number of persons who were nominated were deemed ineligible for the positions they were nominated for while some persons withdrew their candidacy. McPherson then related that candidates on the final list of nominees for positions contested were unopposed.
The GPSU general secretary said that publications as well as a circular were circulated to the GPSU membership prior to the elections. Responding to a question on the criteria used to determine the eligibility of candidates, Persaud said that such persons are required to be members of the GPSU at least one year prior to elections. In addition each nominee is required to have served at the executive/committee level. When asked if there has been a decrease in membership of the GPSU leading to the positions being unopposed, Persaud reiterated that persons had withdrawn their candidacy while some nominees were deemed ineligible.
At yesterday’s briefing, the elections officer handed over the results of the elections to the GPSU general secretary who announced that the candidates will be installed at a later date.