The recent appointments by GECOM of a Civic and Voter Education Manager and a Logistics Manager provide further evidence that Chairperson Claudette Singh remains a pawn of the PPP and has discarded all traces of self-respect, shame, and any willingness to fulfil her constitutional duty to the people of Guyana. These two positions were filled by persons who possess inferior qualifications and relevant experience compared to other applicants who were nevertheless rejected by the GECOM Chair acting in concert with the three PPP-nominated commissioners.
This unholy alliance between Justice Singh and the PPP party has occurred several times in the past, most notably with the appointments of the current Chief Election Officer and his deputy, even though they did not have the required years of relevant job experience.
The fact that the GECOM Chair feels no compulsion to explain to the Guyanese public why she sides with the PPP commissioners on all critical matters exposes her total contempt for the people and her fixation with her own self-interests. The Guyanese people must reject this situation as unacceptable. It does not provide a proper basis for the conduct of elections that are fair, credible, and can inspire trust in the voting population.
We reiterate our demand for GECOM Chairman Claudette Singh to step down and a new chairperson quickly selected who can ensure that (i) the commission is professionally and responsibly managed, (ii) the commission does not become the political pawn of any party, (iii) the chair of GECOM communicates with the public regularly to increase transparency and public confidence in the commission’s decision-making process, and (iv) modern and effective administrative systems and voting technologies are introduced at GECOM, including a clean voters list and biometrics at the place of polling.
