GECOM Chair Claudette Singh today, decided not to acquiesce to PPP/C Commissioner Robeson Benn’s tabling of a motion to fire GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield for “failure to execute his duty”, and to replace him with someone likely to produce an election report declaring the PPPC winner of the 2020 national and regional elections.
Lowenfield has instead been instructed to produced a report by 2:30pm tomorrow based on the controversial recount order. If his report remains unchanged, Chair Claudette Singh will call on the DCEO Roxanne Myers to produce a report reflecting a win for the PPPC.
Considering that CEO Lowenfield submitted his report in accordance with the constitution and Laws of Guyana Chapter 1:03, any action taken against him could once again move the matter back to the courts.
It is clear that this political impasse is now moving into uncharted territory. Political commentator Dr Mellissa Ifill asked the following questions on her social media page, and these are questions which must be satisfactorily answered for the Guyanese people;
1. If the CEO submits the same report tomorrow then what?
2. Does the Commission fire the CEO and appoint the DCEO as the new CEO?
3.. If you don’t fire the CEO and appoint the DCEO as CEO, can the DCEO as DCEO lawfully tender an opinion – in keeping with constitutional provisions?
4. If you appoint the DCEO as CEO and she requests clarification as does the former CEO, does the Chair respond, ‘just do it’ again?
5. If the new CEO gives you a report similar to the former CEO, do you fire her too?
6. If you fire her, who do you appoint as the new CEO and DCEO? Do we go through an advertisement period or we just choose somebody?
7. If the CEO submits a report in keeping with the recount totals and Mr. Alli is declared and sworn in, what do we think will happen in this country?
8. If the CEO’s current report is resubmitted and the President is sworn in, what do we think will happen in this country?
9 When are we going to have our leaders lead in the interest of us all rather than some and give this nation some peace?
10. What is the end game for the various players because neither of the two will get an opportunity to lead a whole nation by the time these misleaders are done with us?
(Village Voice requested and received permission to quote Dr Ifill)
