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The Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) has stated that the ongoing efforts to remove its Region Eight Regional Democratic Council (RDC) candidate, Jimmy James, was initially due to his ill health after he contracted COVID-19 but is now due to his support of the main Opposition.
The members of the Region Eight RDC are yet to take their Oath of Office. All other RDCs have been sworn-in and have selected their Regional Chairman and Vice Chairman.
In November, the Region Eight Councillors were asked to travel to Georgetown for their swearing-in ceremony but this was cancelled at the last moment due to the “emergencies” of two Councillors. However, months have since passed and the ceremony has not taken place.
James has noted efforts by his party to replace him through the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Party representative John Flores told the media that James was ill and didn’t want the position.
However, in an interview with the Village Voice News on Thursday, James said that he was in good health and very much interested in representing the people of Region Eight.
In a press statement, the LJP has sought to clarify its position. According to the LJP, in September of 2020, it was asked to “resubmit” its candidates for Region 8 to sit on the RDC.
On the list James was the primary candidate and Claris Francisco was listed as the alternate. Shortly after, James was infected by COVID-19.
“It was communicated to the LJP that the RDC will be convening and our candidate needed to be ready at which point Mr James was indisposed as he was still stricken by COVID. Against this backdrop and cognizant of the effects on the healthiest of individuals, the LJP submitted a change of candidate request to GECOM replacing Mr James with Ms Francisco,” the party explained.
Some time after, the party lost confidence in James after they were made aware that he had plans to support the APNU+AFC in his decision making on the Council. It now aims to remove James ill or in good health.
“Mr James who has the respect of the LJP’s executive no longer enjoys the confidence of the LJP and by his own admission is not aligned to the LJP, is no longer willing to serve in the capacity as an LJP representative and is aligned to the PNC,” LJP stated.
The party said further that several attempts were made to rectify the issue through GECOM by way of telephone calls, emails and standard mail with Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO) Roxanne Myers in the absence of the CEO, Keith Lowenfield.
These efforts were made from October to January but to no avail. The LJP believes that “dark forces” at the GECOM Secretariat are working to prevent the change.
“It is clear that the destruction of the LJP and all other parties that stood in the way of the rigging machine will now the new focus of the vengeance of the rigging machine inclusive of the remnants that still reside at the GECOM’s Secretariat…this demonstrates that a purge and overhaul of the politically aligned GECOM Secretariat is much needed and we call on Madam Chair and the Commission to swiftly execute said purge and press for the much needed electoral reform as recommended by the various rulings through the elections fiasco,” the LJP stated.
According to James, he is not interested in the current power struggle between the political parties but in representing the welfare of the people of Region Eight.
