Dear Editor,
Permit me space in your newspaper to express my profound disappointment in the performance of the Guyana Elections Commission Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh. Editor, at an epoch when women leaders are being revered for their leadership skills, decisiveness and empathy in the Covid-19 global pandemic, we have a woman, Claudette Singh, who is tasked with the responsibility of delivering free and fair elections, and 59 days later, instead of discharging her duties with fairness and impartiality, has unequivocally demonstrated bias and enabled the riggers. Last week, she was presented with yet another opportunity to exhibit independence and impartiality when Commissioner Sase Gunraj tabled ten motions/resolutions on which she was required to vote. The resolutions were intended to bring utmost transparency to the recount process and to force the Chair to be decisive on matters that were pending for a prolonged time. Instead of salvaging what credibility she had remaining, Claudette Singh was unmasked for all of Guyana to see. She rejected almost all of the proposals, including a request to live stream the recount, thereby exhibiting her inability or unwillingness to deliver a free, fair and transparent recount.
On April 15, 2020, on a site visit to the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Singh was asked by a reporter about the status of the ten declarations and she responded by saying ‘we have moved past that’, and ‘once we go into the recount stage we will no longer come back to those declarations’. However, a few days later, she told reporters that the declarations are valid until there is something to replace them, and in the same interview professed her belief in God. It is not clear what type of reasoning, logic or law Claudette Singh is adopting, but it is basic common sense which tells you that the entire reason for the recount is the fact that the results for district 4 were fraudulently declared, and the Opposition Leader, in good faith, and out of an abundance of fairness, agreed to a total recount. Her excuse to not invalidate the ten declarations is an insult to the intelligence of the people of this Country. Claudette Singh, whatever happened to your promise – “I not sell my integrity for all the oil in Guyana”? The stench of hypocrisy will linger for years to come.
Editor, as I pen this letter there is still no start date for the recount and the Chair has abdicated her role by writing to Moses Nagamootoo and the Covid-19 Task Force for advice on certain key elements pertaining to the recount. For all of the talk about Gecom being an independent body which has the power to make its own decisions and can ‘take such action as appear to it necessary or expedient to ensure impartiality, fairness…’ (Art. 162(b) of the Constitution of Guyana), Claudette Singh is all too happy to let someone else do her dirty work for her. She, like David Granger, has adopted a ‘do nothing’ modus operandi in an effort to distance themselves from the clear attempt to rig the elections and undermine our democracy.
According to the reasoning of Claudette Singh and the riggers in the APNU+AFC camp, Gecom was so independent and autonomous that it was unconscionable and downright illegal for the body to allow Caricom to supervise the recount – prompting a legal challenge brought by APNU candidate Ulita Moore – but not independent enough to make decisions such as work hours and the number of persons permitted to observe the recount.
Claudette Singh is no iron lady. She is a colossal disappointment.
Finally, I wish to end on a positive note. The bravery, integrity and stellar character of the Honourable Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire in the execution of her duties as a judge has not gone unnoticed. She is the real iron lady. Roxane George-Wiltshire is an example to women and girls in Guyana and she should be regarded as the epitome of fairness and justice. I hope that one day she is properly honoured for her role in defending our democracy.
Yours faithfully,
Susan Rodrigues
