The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has asked its secretariat to provide versions of a work plan with timelines within which general and regional elections can be held.
It has requested that the options be presented to GECOM’s Operations Sub-Committee for discussions, and in time for next Tuesday’s statutory meeting.
This is according to Opposition-nominated commissioners Sase Gunraj and Bibi Shadick who told Stabroek News yesterday that the request was made once again at Tuesday’s statutory meeting after the secretariat failed to provide the information at the January 22 statutory meeting.
The options and timelines, the two said, should include in its details, timeframes for claims and objections and house-to-house registration.
Shadick noted that Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield was not present at the meeting and no excuse was given for his absence.
Deputy Chief Election Officer, Roxanne Myers, who was present, Shadick said, made no commitment as to whether or not the secretariat could provide the work plan before the sub-committee meets on Monday. She said Myers did indicate, however, that the work plan could be ready by Monday. Shadick said that presenting the work plan on Monday when the sub-committee meets, may not give them enough time to study it for presentation on Tuesday, February 5.
At last Friday’s meeting with the government and opposition chief whips, she noted that Lowenfield had admitted that the secretariat had met and looked at a work plan on December 22, 2018, the day after a no-confidence motion was approved in the National Assembly. The Constitution provides for general elections to be held within 90 days of the approval of such a motion. The secretariat has not revealed that plan to the commissioners, she said.
The request for the work plan was made towards the end of Tuesday’s meeting which focused on the agenda of the January 22 meeting, Shadick said. The agenda was suspended to accommodate discussions on GECOM’s preparedness for the elections.
