Dear Editor,
APNU’s GECOM Commissioner, Mr. Vincent Alexander’s name appeared in recent letters published in sections of main stream media on April 13, 2023 under the headlines:
‘I’m just reacting to call out Rohee’s falsehood about things GECOM’.
And:
‘Mr. Rohee has manifested a propensity for falsehood’.
In his letters, Mr. Alexander unashamedly returned to a matter that was put to rest years ago by the Ethnic Relations Commission chaired at the time by Justice Stanley Moore, retired Justice of Appeal.
Mr Alexander did not get away with his attempt to mislead the ERC then as regards the requirements for the position Deputy Chief Election Officer (DCEO) as advertised by GECOM in 2018 nor will history allow him to do so ever.
On February 2018 Guyanese newspapers published an advertisement placed by GECOM inviting suitably qualified persons to apply for the vacancy of DCEO.
As far as I am aware, the only two applicants who had applied and were shortlisted to be interviewed for the position were Vishnu Persaud and Roxanne Myers. Both were interviewed by the Commission comprising; VA, CB & DT for the APNU while BSS,(deceased), RB and SG represented the then opposition PPP/C. Scores were awarded and Vishnu Persaud received the highest.
In his letters Alexander claims;
‘In 2018, the GECOM advertisement for the position of DCEO read thus: “Post Graduate Degree in Social Sciences along with three (3) years’ experience in management of a widely dispersed organization.” There was no dispute in 2018 that Ms. Myers met that requirement. She was not given a free pass. Her qualifications and experience were superior to the other candidates. In 2021, GECOM`s revised advertisement for the position of DCEO read thus: A Post Graduate Degree in Public Administration … and specific training and verifiable experience in management position overseeing and directing diverse operations aimed at achieving targets within specific deadlines. At least five (5) years` experience in Management of National Elections and Election Systems is a prerequisite requirement.”
Mr Alexander’s claim is bizarre to say the least. To claim that Myers’ qualifications were superior to the other candidates’ (sic!) and that ‘there was no dispute that Ms Myers met the requirement with her “superior qualifications and potential to perform” reached the peak of mount falsehood.
Alexander’s claim flies in the face of an investigation by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) sub-committee headed at the time by Stanley Moore.
Since Mr Alexander chose to revisit this matter, I am obliged to refer once again to the
report of the ERC sub-committee in which that body considered it an act of discrimination to appoint Myers over Persaud stating: ‘There are no institutional rules or practice in GECOM which allows for ethnic discrimination in hiring.’
The investigation concluded that ‘Mr. Persaud was the first candidate in the history of GECOM who had obtained the highest score and had not been appointed. Nothing has been presented to us which, at least on paper, reveals any attributes in Ms. Myers that were capable of offsetting the clear paper advantage which Mr. Persaud enjoyed over his rival.’
The ERC investigation found that Vishnu Persaud was more qualified than Myers and that Myers had absolutely no experience in election management nor in election training.
Experience and qualifications are two separate and distinct requirements for anyone applying for a job. In other words, Myers might have had the academic qualifications required but not the experience; ‘in elections management and or comprehensive knowledge of GECOM’s procedures and processes…’ as was stipulated in GECOM’s advertisement.
In addition, it was not incidental that the ERC’s sub-committee in its investigation, referenced the importance of attributes stating; ‘Nothing has been presented to us which, at least on paper, reveals any attributes in Ms. Myers that she is capable of offsetting the clear paper advantage which Mr. Persaud enjoyed over his rival.’
It is regrettable that Commissioner Alexander continues to harp on a matter that was settled years ago by the Ethnic Relations Commission, a Constitutional Body and by a Court of law.
Yours faithfully,
Clement J. Rohee
