In the wake of the resignation of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) Dr Steve Surujbally, the PPP has already started its selection of nominees for his replacement and is calling on President David Granger to formalize the process soon.
“We have started looking at the names of the people that we will submit to replace Mr Surujbally,” Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo informed when asked by Stabroek News about the process.
“I had expected that by now, since Mr Surujbally had signalled months ago to the President and more formally recently that he would be leaving, that the President would initiate the process that will trigger that constitutional replacement for the head of Gecom,” he added.
Jagdeo, a former president, explained that according to the Constitution, he has to submit a list of six names from which the President will choose the next head of Gecom.
Surujbally, who has been Chairman of Gecom since 2001, has submitted his resignation to Granger; it takes effect on November 30, 2016. He is currently on vacation.
Jagdeo opined that government should have already triggered the replacement process.
Since this had not been done as at yesterday, he said, he has asked his party’s Chief Whip Gail Teixeira to write to the Head of the Ministry of the Presidency, informing of their concerns.
“Given the necessity of having a fully comprised commission at all points in time, given that the work of the commission is critical in the preparation for the next elections, I have not received any indication from the President when he intends to trigger that provision. Now this is very worrying for us given the slothfulness in this government and its incompetence and the sensitivity surrounding Gecom,” he asserted.
“We are suspicious that there may be a lengthy delay in that entire process. I have asked the chief whip to write [to]… enquire when the President intends to trigger the process to have the replacement for the head of Gecom. So that letter would be sent shortly.”
According to the Constitution of Guyana, “The Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Minority Leader after consultation with the political parties represented in the National Assembly, other than the party to which the President belongs.”
If the Minority Leader fails to submit a list as provided, “the President shall appoint a person who holds or has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge,” the Constitution also states.
