The government has interpreted the recent ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to mean that both the President and the Opposition Leader would provide names on the list of six persons to be nominated to be the new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
This was stated in a letter dated yesterday by Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joe Harmon to PPP executive Gail Teixeira.
The government’s position is likely to be controversial as the constitution expressly requires the Opposition Leader to submit six names. Furthermore, the section of the CCJ ruling cited by Harmon does not support the case for both leaders submitting names.
The section of the ruling is as follows: “The court decided that the most sensible approach to operationalising the Article was for the Leader of the Opposition and the President to communicate with each other in good faith and perhaps even meet to discuss eligible candidates for the position of Chairman before a list is formally submitted. The aim of these discussions must be to agree the names of six persons who fit the stated eligibility requirements and who are not unacceptable to the President”.
Harmon’s letter said that he hoped that the Leader of the Opposition would quickly communicate his position on the issue before a date for the meeting with the President is finalised.
Harmon’s letter was in response to one by Teixeira on June 25 declaring the availability of Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo for daily meetings to arrive at a new Chairman.
The two sides have to make submissions to the CCJ by Monday on the consequential orders which are to be issued on July 12 on the findings that the appointment by President David Granger of retired Justice James Patterson as GECOM Chairman was unconstitutional and upholding the validity of the December 21, 2018 motion of no confidence.