GECOM Chairperson Claudette Singh continues to chair the Commission and cast her votes in a manner that (to quote Commissioner Vincent Alexander) “brings into question GECOM`s fitness for purpose as an impartial electoral body”, the Office of the Leader of the Opposition said today.
In a statement, the Office of the leader of the Opposition said that recent appointments of senior staff have again exposed Singh’s incapacity and unwillingness to ensure GECOM can win the trust and confidence of the Guyanese public.
“Instead of seeking to foster compromise and consensus among GECOM commissioners, she has allowed the tyranny of the majority to prevail. She has used her casting vote to override or ignore well-established administrative laws, rules, and principles. She has turned the Commission into a PPP stooge instead of the independent entity that the constitution envisages and the citizens expect.
“The recent appointment of Mr. Aneal Giddings as the Deputy Chief Election Officer is a case in point. Mr. Giddings’ selection and appointment could not have been possible but for Chairperson Claudette Singh joining with the PPP commissioners to manipulate and disfigure the employment process. The records show he was not the most qualified candidate nor, worse, did he even meet the qualification criteria. Yet the GECOM chair voted for him to be selected and appointed”, the statement said.
It added that as Commissioner Alexander publicly stated, this is the third time in succession that GECOM has “contrived to appoint a candidate who has not met the mandatory requirement. The other cases are the current CEO and the ACEO. In the latter case, the position of ACEO was re-advertised even though at least four of the original applicants met the requirements and were shortlisted on both occasions. However, Claudette Singh colluded with the PPP commissioners to allow a retiree who had not previously applied to get the job”.
The Guyanese public calls on Claudette Singh to explain these and her other disgraceful acts – all of which favour the PPP, the statement added.