The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has appointed Information Technology (IT) Manager, Aneal Giddings to the post of Deputy Chief Election Officer (DCEO).
This was confirmed by People Progressive Party/Civic-appointed, Commissioner, Sase Gunraj.
Reports are that Giddings was appointed by a 4-3 majority vote, with all three opposition-appointed commissioners voting against, and GECOM Chair Claudette Singh voting in favour along with the three PPP/C-appointed Commissioners.
The vacancies of DCEO, Assistant Chief Election Officer, Chief Accountant, Legal Officer, Logistics Manager, and Civic and Voter Education Manager were all advertised in September of 2021, with a window of two weeks before applications for the post were closed. However, six months later, there was still very little movement in that regard.
After a months-long process, the post of CEO was filled by Vishnu Persaud, and Legal Officer by attorney Kurt Anthony Da Silva. On the preliminary shortlist for the DCEO post were Melanie Marshall, Neil Bacchus, Mohamed Arjoon, and Deodat Persaud.
Subsequently, Deodat Persaud and Melanie Marshall were further shortlisted for the post.
More months elapsed and the application process was reopened leaving the way for Giddings to apply. The criteria for the post stated that applicants must have 5 years’ experience working in the position, which at the time the opposition-appointed Commissioners indicated that Marshall had.
Months again went by and yesterday Giddings was finally chosen by majority vote to become the next DCEO.
This however did not sit well with the opposition-appointed Commissioners, in particular, Vincent Alexander, who opined that GECOM had once again contrived to appoint a PPP/C preferred candidate to a senior position.
Alexander explained that when the first advertisement came out for the post, Marshall met the requirement but was never appointed to the post and an advertisement was later published, resulting in Giddings applying.
“Mr Giddings at the time of application was over one year short of the required experience. The advertisement clearly stated: ‘At least five (5) years in Management of National elections and Election Systems is a prerequisite requirement.’ Mr Giddings joined GECOM in June, 2018.and is still three months short of the required experience.” Commissioner Alexander noted.
In giving his own account of the issue, Alexander pointed out that interviews were inordinately delayed by approximately one year and it is now being argued that Giddings has four years and nine months experience.
He contended as much as the selection seems to him, contrived, Giddings still has not met the stipulated years of experience and that one in the process has contested or can contest that fact.
Alexander further accused the PPP/C-appointed commissioners of being on a mission to foist candidates of their choosing on GECOM with the Chair being complicit.
