The Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) sees President David Granger’s request for the curricula vitae (CV) of the six nominees for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as fair but says they [nominees] are well-known.
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo held a press conference to disclose that he had nominated Chartered Accountant and lawyer Christopher Ram; business executive Ramesh Dookhoo; author, Indian rights activist and columnist Ryhaan Shah; historian Professor James Rose; governance and peace practitioner Lawrence Lachmansingh and former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force and mining executive Norman McLean.
Speaking on behalf of the opposition, Executive Member, Anil Nandlall, said: “I am aware that some have argued that the qualifications of the persons nominated are well-known locally; that one was the President’s boss in the army for over a decade; that one lectured to him at university and that another sits on a committee to advise his government on taxation and is one of its several forensic auditors.”
He added that in his view, “All of the nominees satisfy the constitutionally laid out requirements. However, I suppose that the President wants to make a fully informed decision.” When asked, Nandlall said that as far as he knew, the CVs have not yet been submitted.
He pointed out that the “important characteristic of the constitutional mechanism for the appointment of the chairman of GECOM is that it strives to achieve a consensual candidate.”
Nandlall added that was the intention when it was originally formulated by President Jimmy Carter for the 1992 elections and that the formula was later constitutionalized.
According to him, “From 1992 onwards, it [formula] has achieved this consensual objective since every list of nominees submitted by a PNC Opposition Leader was found acceptable by a PPP/C President who chose one nominee from that first list submitted.”
He said too that it is expected that this tradition will continue, noting that “if the President rejects the first list, then as Mr. Joseph Harmon indicated in the press, another list will have to be submitted until consensus is reached. That is what I understand the formula was designed to achieve.”
In an invited comment on Thursday at the Ministry of the Presidency, the President said that he received the list of nominations from the Opposition Leader on Wednesday and has responded to that request.
“I replied to him right away because although those six names might be known to the public, I could not be sure that their nominations were in accordance with the Constitution. I have asked him to let me have copies of the Curriculum Vitae of each one so that it can guide me in making my decision. So that is where we are now and I would say that the ball is in his court. I would say let me have the resume for the persons so we can go ahead with this process. It is very important that we have a Chairman as early as possible,” the President said.
Jagdeo said at the press conference that the six were selected following extensive consultations with 30 civil society organizations, representing major sections of society. These include religious organisations from the three major religions, the private sector, the labour movement, women and young people.
Of the six names tendered, observers say that Ram and Lachmansingh would be the main contenders and more readily accepted by the President. Ram is a longstanding civil society activist. Of the six, Lachmansingh has wide knowledge of electoral systems having served in the Electoral Assistance Bureau for several elections here and as an international civil servant in countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Cambodia and Ghana. He also served with the UNDP’s Social Cohesion Programme here.
The former Chairman of GECOM, Dr. Steve Surujbally’s resignation became effective as of November 30.
