The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is scheduled to debate at its next meeting the three motions for dismissal of Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield, Deputy Chief Election Officer Roxanne Myers and Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.
At yesterday’s statutory meeting, GECOM Chair Justice ret’d Claudette Singh decided that the Commission could debate and decide on whether the officers should be dismissed.
“The Chair ruled that the Commission can discuss the motion and that that will be done at its meeting. Among other things she contended that she has no knowledge of [the government- nomi-nated members] being biased. I reminded her of my offer to provide evidence and indicated that notwithstanding the ruling I will provide the evidence,” opposition-appointed Commissioner Vincent Alexander explained to Stabroek News.
It was Alexander who two weeks ago recommended that an independent tribunal be established to examine the accusations laid against the three officers. He argued that by publicly stating their positions on the firing of the officers the three government commissioners have displayed bias.
“They have a bias and principles of natural justice allow for impartial hearings,” he contended.
Government-nominated commissioner Sase Gunraj has disagreed.
“It is our contention that the Constitu-tion allows the Commission to treat with and deal with motions of this sort. In fact, we are constitutionally mandated to be the authority to do that and that there is no power in us to delegate such hearings,” he argued.
As previously reported by Stabroek News, the motions which were tabled on June 1 accuse Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo of acting in a manner which has caused a loss of public confidence and public trust in the electoral process.
The three are also facing criminal charges that were instituted as a result of alleged misconduct during the post-voting process after last year’s general and regional elections.
They are all currently on annual leave pending the decision of the Commission.
