Dear Editor,
The illness of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, James Patterson, is very worrying because it will no doubt slow the machinery of the election process in the country. The latest report is that the 85-year-old is hospitalised. No details were given concerning the nature of his illness, but one news entity reported that he was in the intensive care unit for a while.
It is worrying that despite protests, President Granger chose to name the aged Patterson to head such an important commission. He rejected all three lists submitted by the leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, and unilaterally chose the retired judge. There is no doubt that Patterson was handpicked for political reasons and the government spent a fortune in legal fees to defend the court actions brought challenging his appointment.
Granger, who is much younger, is now ill and ought to know that being the Chairman of the Elections Commission is a strenuous job and it would be very challenging for him, but went ahead casting aside protests and made the controversial appointment.
Several bloggers, even those in support of the Granger administration, are calling for the appointment of young strong men who can do the job. WC star wrote, “in the meantime the politicians will continue to enjoy the host of perks they have given themselves, whilst the people will be deprived of jobs and their constitutional rights to freely elect their true, bona-fide leader…Are Guyanese heading back to the 1989/90 period when the simple preparation of a new Voters List delayed those (December 1990) Elections for almost two years?…”
Meanwhile, Speaker Scotland has referred PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira’s complaint against Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s participation in the National Assembly while performing the functions of President, to the parliamentary committee on constitutional reform.
Teixeira threatens to move to the courts. This of course, will take quite some time since there might be appeals.
Very unfortunate situation.
Yours faithfully,
Oscar Ramjeet
