Newly-appointed Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) retired Justice Claudette Singh will preside over her first meeting of the commission on August 15, one day after the acting Chief Justice, Roxane George provides a ruling on a challenge to the House-to-House registration exercise underway.
Stabroek News has been reliably informed that the six other members of the commission were yesterday invited to a meeting with Singh; the agenda of which lists only one substantial item: the way forward in holding General and Regional Elections.
Singh who was appointed on July 29 spent her first full day of work on July 30 being familiarized with the operation of the commission and met separately with both sides of the commission on July 31. She met with the opposition-nominated commissioners for 90 minutes at GECOM’s headquarters in Kingston and with the government-nominated commissioners for three hours.
After exiting the meeting opposition commissioners Bibi Shadick and Robeson Benn were hesitant to pronounce on the matters that were discussed and only related that they had a “very cordial and informative meeting.”
Commissioner Sase Gunraj added that the issues that were discussed were “all matters that are in the public domain and in relation to the conduct of elections that are constitutionally due.”
He noted that Singh appeared very receptive and respectful to the views that they presented to her adding that he believed her reaction was influenced by her long judicial service. Consequently according to Gunraj commissioners are looking forward to meaningful deliberations with all sides present.
The government-appointed commissioners also emphasized that the meeting was cordial. Vincent Alexander told reporters that everything possible was raised.
Singh has remained media silent on her plans for the commission but has previously indicated that the constitution would be her guide.
While stressing that she does not believe in “walking out” the retired Judge told reporters at her appointment ceremony that she believed in inclusivity.
“I will speak with everybody. I do not believe in people walking out when there is a disagreement. I believe in sitting down and hammering out the problems, not the media will solve our problems, we will have to,” she said.
The most recent meetings of the Commission, following the passage of the December 21st no-confidence motion against government and immediately prior to the resignation of the former Chairman, were each cut short when the opposition-nominated commissioners walked out in protest at the commission’s failure to begin preparation for general and regional elections. These contentious interactions form part of the two main challenges facing the new chair as she will have to immediately address how to handle the CCJ edict that Article 106 (6) of the constitution requires general elections in three months from June 18th, 2019. The new Chairman will also have to preside over a deeply divided GECOM on the question of whether controversial house-to-house registration for a new national register should be halted.
