While congratulating Sandra Jones on her selection to serve as an opposition-nominated member of the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom), the AFC yesterday accused Opposition Leader David Granger of closing the door on broader representation on the body.
“It was the [AFC’s] hope that with the new national dispensation, where the good people of Guyana have conferred the privilege of leadership and management on the joint opposition, that the broader representation of the opposition parliamentary parties in Gecom would have been reflected,” AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan told a party news conference.
“The AFC notes that the selection departs from the agreed principle, which we openly stated and which was articulated not only by the AFC but also members of other political parties, including Aubrey Norton of the PNC and David Hinds of the WPA. It is indeed unfortunate that a party with the parliamentary strength of the AFC cannot be afforded a place on Gecom, as such bringing a truly “independent” view on behalf the electorate, particularly against the backdrop that our people always tend to view elections and their results with some amount of suspicion as was seen even at the 2011 polls…,” he further said, adding that his party is again calling for a reform of Gecom and will be moving the required legislation in Parliament to do so.
He said too that the AFC remains strongly committed to the principle that one of the three representatives of the opposition in Gecom prior to its reform should be a person nominated by the AFC.
Ramjattan accused Granger of shutting the AFC out of Gecom and said that prior to him informing the AFC of Jones’ selection, the party had been unaware that she was in the running for the post. He also noted that in February last year, during the PNCR’s exercise to elect a presidential candidate, S.V. Jones Associates was retained to help ensure “maximum transparency of the process,” and at the conclusion of the internal election process, the Returning Officer. Mr. Earl John of Sandra V. Jones Associates, declared the results. Granger was elected after the PNCR’s primaries.
The two other opposition-nominated members on the Commission, Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin, were selected by the PNCR, which is the main constituent of the APNU, which is chaired by Granger.
Sources say that consultations by Granger led in the direction of PNCR member Aubrey Norton being selected over the AFC’s nominee David Patterson. However, it was made clear to Granger that Norton was not interested in the post. The sources say that Granger then sought another candidate, who could be considered ahead of Patterson as APNU’s executives were intent on ensuring that the AFC’s nominee was not selected.
In the past, the smaller opposition party has been allowed to nominate one member to Gecom. Jones will be replacing the late Robert Williams, who had been the nominee of The United Force at a time when it had only one seat in Parliament as compared to the AFC’s seven.
“We believe that one of the unfortunate consequences of Ms. Jones’ nomination is that it may place her in the (regrettable) position of not enjoying the full support of the joint opposition, thereby leading to unnecessary and avoidable distractions over her nomination,” Ramjattan said.
“The AFC maintains its high level of confidence in David Patterson as our nominee and we know that he will continue his vibrant efforts to renew and define our democracy on all fronts. Though we are dissatisfied, the AFC does not see this as an event for ‘war’ in the opposition. We will remain focused on the need for the broadest unity and cooperation,” he added.
Responding to questions on the issue Ramjattan said that the last meeting with Granger on the Gecom post was seven weeks ago and that he left it thinking that an AFC person, even a candidate who was not Patterson, would have been selected as was done with the Speaker of the National Assembly.
Although Moses Nagamootoo was put forward by the AFC, APNU found Raphael Trotman a more agreeable candidate for the Speakership. “He didn’t like Moses Nagamotoo as he made it clear,” Ramjattan said, adding that since no objections were raised in relation to Patterson, he felt confident that he would have been the person appointed to that post.
Asked if it could be a political appointment especially in light of the fact that Jones is not known to be an active member of APNU, Ramjattan responded that he did point out two activities she was involved in.
“That is not the concept of what we had said. Winner does not take all,” he said adding that in spite of everything AFC will need APNU’s support in the future. “That is why we have to exhibit our disappointment here but we also know the reality and the reality is that we have to work with each of the parties in parliament to have constitutional change. We feel that the PPP is not going to be one party that wants constitutional change so we will have to live with APNU and so although we might be disappointment and have strong sentiments about the development, we have to be political realists,” he argued.
