President ignored 18 GECOM nominees as they were independent – RISE

RISE Guyana, which was formed earlier this year to push for constitutional reform, says it believes that President David Granger dismissed 18 nominees for the post of GECOM Chairman because he knew they would act independently and impartially.

In a statement on Saturday on the President’s unilateral naming of Justice James Patterson as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) after rejecting three lists from Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, RISE queried the President ‘s rationale for his actions.

“The question to be asked is why were these individuals overlooked by the President in the honest exercise of his Presidential discretion in reviewing the three lists presented one after the other by the Leader of the Opposition? RISE believes that the insulting dismissal of these candidates by the President is