Letter to Commissioner of Police… Claudette Singh acted on own accord

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh took the decision on her own accord to request from the Immigration Department, verification to support the claims being made by the APNU+AFC Coalition of migrant voters during the National Recount.

This was confirmed by GECOM’s PRO Yolanda Ward who revealed that the decision taken was not that of the six-member Commission.
“I know the commissioners were aware of the intent but specifically as it relates to a decision of the commission, I will not be able to say,” Ward told the media yesterday.

It was Commissioner Vincent Alexander who brought the issue to the fore when he revealed that the GECOM Chair had received information from the coalition about ‘migrant voters’ and that the Chair wrote to the Chief Immigration Officer to verify that information.

Alexander had said that all of the Commissioners were present when Justice Singh stated that she had received information from the Coalition and that she had sent it off for verification. However, shortly after he made that disclosure, Opposition nominated Commissioner, Sase Gunraj – when questioned if he knew of the letter sent by the Chair – told the media that he was unaware that such a decision was taken, and that if it was, it was not one taken by the Commission.

Ward, when asked to clarify how the Commission was informed about Justice Singh’s position said “This Commission meets regularly almost every day as the need arises; the day there was a meeting, it was discussed at the level of the meeting.”

“Again,” she added, “I cannot say. I said that the commissioners were aware, maybe through one of their discussions at the meeting. As it relates to whether it was a decision of the Commission, as I would have indicated, I do not know as to whether it was a decision.”

The GECOM PRO could not point to a reason why the Chair herself would bypass the Commission but she stated that the Chair has the power to act on her own: “The Chair has written to the Commissioner. I am not sure as to the reason behind the request. I am sure that at some point the chair would be able to provide that detail.”

“As the chair of the Commission,” she said “there is an amount of authority that a Chair has to act within her purview, and again, I do not want to speak on behalf of the Chair but I am sure that there is some wisdom behind her decision.”
When asked whether legal advice was sought by the Chair on her decision, Ward said “I am not aware of any.”