It is still not clear when the two Chief Whips will meet with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to discuss its readiness to hold general elections but at least one Commissioner is hoping that the Chairman’s health is a main item on the agenda when the meeting does occur.
“The readiness of GECOM will include the availability of a Chairman,” Opposition nominated Commissioner Bibi Shadick stressed to Stabroek News yesterday.
The Chief Whips were mandated to meet GECOM to discuss its readiness for elections following a meeting on January 9 between President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on the outcome of the December 21 motion of no confidence which requires elections to be held by March 21 this year.
GECOM Chairman James Patterson, 85, is currently on sick leave until January 22, he has not been to work since November 30.
According to Shadick though the constitution provides for the appointment of a temporary chair if the substantive chair is too ill to perform, the process needs to be initiated by President David Granger.
“The process is the same as the process to appoint the substantive chair and in this case the chairman would have to say he is going to be ill for an extended period and the President would have to write to the Opposition Leader seeking a list and so on,” she explained.
According to Shadick the chairman’s health was not raised at the meeting between Granger and Jagdeo because the two whips were mandated to meet with GECOM.
“I understand that the Whips have written to the Chairman but I haven’t been able speak to either Whip to know whether they have received a response,” she explained. Stabroek News has also attempted to reach both Amna Ally and Gail Teixeira without success.
In the interim, Shadick noted that efforts are being made to have several sub-committees meet.
“As co-chair of the Administration and Finance Committee I have written to the other five commissioners, the chair and the Chief Election Officer to have a meeting [yesterday] at 1pm but have only received a response from councillor Benn,” she shared adding that Chair of the Operations sub-committee Sase Gunraj has also made similar attempts to convene a meeting without success.
“The chair is not necessary for these committees to meet and there are other ways for him to convene a commission meeting other than being physically present,” Shadick maintained.
