General Elections are to be held within three months and the Opposition People’s Progressive Party is concerned about whether the recent illness of the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will hamper the functioning of the commission during that period.
“This was our concern since he was appointed. That has to be our concern because the commission is critical to the machinery and if the commission is not meeting who runs GECOM? You need the oversight,” Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters yesterday.
Stabroek News has previously reported that meetings of the commission have been postponed to January 7 while retired Justice James Patterson, 85 waits to be cleared by his doctors.
Patterson has been absent from work since December 4 due to illness and in that time the commission has not been able to address several matters stemming from the recently held local government elections, including the findings of an investigation into irregularities related to proxy voting in the Township of Mabaruma.
Jagdeo stressed that when the President selected the Patterson as chair “most people predicted” that something of this nature would happen.
He noted that the matter is one of several which needs to be addressed when he meets President David Granger in January.
Asked if he would be willing to allow the President to unilaterally appoint a Chairman to act if Patterson proves too ill to function, Jagdeo noted that the matter is complicated as a court case challenging Patterson’s appointment is still active.
Article 161 (7) of the constitution provides for the appointment of a temporary chairman if the chairman is unable to perform his functions.
“If by reason of Illness, absence from Guyana or suspension… the chairman is unable to perform his functions a temporary chairman may be appointed in his place,” the article notes while Article 161 (8) further explains that anyone appointed in this manner shall hold the post “only for the period ending when the person in whose place he has been appointed resumes his functions or ceases to be the chairman,” the provision states.
Meanwhile Jagdeo has noted that he is willing to sign a public pact on behalf of the PPP/C to refuse campaign funding from any and all oil companies which might offer.
