The secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has written to the Ministry of Finance seeking advice on whether the $3 billion allocated for House-to-House registration in 2019 can be used to fund elections this year.
PPP/C-nominated commissioner Sase Gunraj confirmed to Stabroek News yesterday that Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield has written to the Ministry as directed by the commission.
“He [Lowenfield] reported that he did [write to the Ministry] but didn’t report a response,” Gunraj said.
The commissioner spoke with this newspaper following a meeting of the commission on Wednesday which once again ended in a deadlock. He further indicated that a response is expected by Tuesday when the commission has its next statutory meeting.
The opposition-nominated commissioners have argued that the money can be used via virement while PNCR-nominated commissioner Vincent Alexander has indicated that his reading of the law suggests that only 10% of any allocation can be vired. He maintained that the opinion and advice of experts in the area are required to decide on the way forward.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s meeting which was the second in two days ended in another deadlock as the commissioners continue to disagree on the timeline for training of polling day staff and have not granted permission for the secretariat to move into operations mode.
Last Friday the CEO announced that the secretariat would need 148 days to run off an elections. He added that with the life of the current voters list coming to an end on April 30 the 148 includes 28 days for a process of claims and objections. This timeline rules out the March 19 deadline set by the December 21, 2018 no confidence vote as well as house- to-house registration which has been projected to last nine months.
Neither side of the commission appears willing to accept this timelines. Alexander has specifically indicated that the decision on an election will have to return to legislature for an expansion of the timeframe.
“There are two propositions coming from the secretariat: July with Claims and objections and February with House to House. Both go beyond the March 21 deadline so the matter either way has to return to parliament,” Alexander maintained.
Articles 106(6) and 106(7) of the Constitution prescribe that the Cabinet, including the President, shall resign if the government is defeated by the vote of a majority of all the elected members of the National Assembly on a vote of confidence and elections are to be held within three months unless a two-thirds majority of the House grants an extension.
Therefore a July date for elections would require the approval of at least 43 members of the 64 member house.
