President David Granger has urged the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) to begin preparations for general and regional elections (GRE) and has said government will initiate measures to make the required funding available.
In a letter to GECOM Chairman James Patterson, dated February 25th and seen by Stabroek News, President Granger indicated that “the Government of Guyana is committed to doing everything possible to ensure that the commission is provided with the financial resources and has sufficient time to conduct credible elections.”
As part of these efforts Granger has promised “to seek the approval of the National Assembly to ensure that an agreement can be reached given both the constitutional requirement and GECOM’s capability.”
The letter appeared to be in response to a letter to the president from Patterson and the indication that GECOM could not deliver credible polls within a three-month time-frame from December 21st, 2018—when a no confidence motion against the government was declared carried in the National Assembly—and that additional funds need to be provided.
With Patterson using his casting vote to break an impasse, GECOM last week decided to advise President Granger that the three-month constitutional deadline for general elections could not be met and that its current budgetary appropriations cannot be used for preparations.
