Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said that he will accept an invitation from President David Granger to meet next Monday for further talks on the appointment of a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commis-sion (Gecom).
Sources close to Jagdeo say that a main point of discussion with the President would be to ascertain if any of the names of the 12 persons, submitted on the two rejected lists, met his stipulated criteria.
This is because the Opposition Leader wants to evaluate “How many from the combined lists met the criteria since only then will we be in a position to know what he really wants so as to be guided,” one source pointed out.
The source explained that the President will also be asked, if any of the 12 met his criteria, whether those names could be resubmitted with additional names to form the third pool.
“If you have two persons from the first list and one from the second list that met what it is that he is looking for, then we will only need to find three other persons. It is almost impossible to ask to go have consultations again to find a fresh six persons and have all those persons meet the President’s criteria,” the source added.
The source said that the way forward as it pertains to the list, “rests heavily” on what happens at next Monday’s consultations.
Last Friday, Granger informed Jagdeo that he had rejected the second list, which Jagdeo submitted on May 2. That list comprised retired judges BS Roy and William Ramlal, attorneys Oneidge Walrond-Allicock, Nadia Sagar and Kashir Khan and businessman Gerry Gouveia. That list was submitted following certain criteria outlined by Granger. The first list was submitted in January, but was also rejected.
Nominees on the first list were chartered accountant Christopher Ram, governance specialist Lawrence Lachmansingh, business executives Ramesh Dookhoo and Norman McLean, author Ryhaan Shah and historian Professor James Rose.
“I have examined the Curricula Vitae of the six persons in light of the criteria defined in my letter to you dated 2017.03.14. I have found the list to be ‘unacceptable’ within the meaning of the Constitution and of those criteria,” Granger stated in the letter to Jagdeo, last Friday.
‘Third list’
Late Friday night, a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency, said that Jagdeo must now submit a third list of nominees and Granger was quoted as saying that he was prepared to work with him for as long as it takes. I’m prepared to work with the Leader of the Opposition for as long as it takes to have somebody selected who fits the criteria, satisfies the Constitution and is one that the people of Guyana could be happy with. I’m prepared to work with the Leader of the Opposition for as long as it takes, but I’m not going to give the people of Guyana the appointment of a person, who is not fit and proper in accordance with the Constitution or criteria, which have been laid out,” he said.
Article 161 (2) of the Constitution states, “Subject to the provisions of paragraph (4), 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 Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation with the non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly.”
The ministry said Granger made it clear that the list must include six persons, who are all qualified so that the choice is not limited.
“Every member of the list suggested must conform to the criteria and you cannot put on the list, a person who does not conform… I must be given a choice. I don’t believe that the second list gave me the range of choice that the people of Guyana deserve,” he said.
“We examined the qualifications very closely and in the end it was clear that the list as a whole did not conform to the criteria as laid down in the Constitution or the list of criteria, which was established… I expect that he would go back to the drawing board and produce a list, which conforms to those criteria. I’m quite serious. It’s an important appointment and I think it must be taken seriously,” he also said.
Then on Saturday, writing on behalf of the President, Minister of State Joseph Harmon dispatched a letter to Jagdeo inviting him to consultations at 6 pm on Monday, June 12th 2017, at State House.
Harmon said he was instructed to write to Jagdeo seeking consultations because of statements attributed to him in press, on the letter about the rejection of the names.
Jagdeo had said that while Granger dispatched the letter saying he rejected the names he did not indicate what should be the next step.
