Dear Editor,
It is said that a good deal is when both parties to the deal leave the negotiating table feeling disappointed.
It would not have mattered much if the issue was not one as crucial and far-reaching as that of the appointment of a Chair-man for the Guyana Elections Commission. Because of the configuration of membership of the Commission where it is difficult to reach consensus on critical issues regarding the management and conduct of national, regional and local government elections, the Chairman has the casting vote in the event of a tie.
It is for this reason that the Chairman of GECOM is someone in whom both sides of the political divide must have a minimum level of trust to behave in an impartial and non-partisan manner. That element of trust is an important pre-requisite for the credibility of GECOM to deliver free and fair elections.
The unilateral appointment of a GECOM Chair by President Granger will certainly not result in the perceived credibility of GECOM to deliver free and fair elections.
A crisis of confidence in GECOM is looming large. It is not too late for President Granger to revisit his unilateral decision and allow for a fresh start for a GECOM Chairman along the lines of the Carter-Price Formula.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
