Why the delay in appointing a COI for GECOM?

Dear Editor,
Free and fair elections are no longer possible in Guyana under GECOM as presently constituted. It is obvious that with the top leadership of GECOM CEO, Mr. Keith Lowenfield; Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers, and Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, in court under charges for fraud that confidence in GECOM has been shattered irreparably.

The PPP/Civic government operates under the belief that doing a good job of being fair and transparent without discrimination will translate into votes. That its economic policies will rule the day and this will be the winner come election time. That belief is erroneous. Elections are metered by GECOM and as presently constituted it is not an impartial body as the facts have shown. The overwhelming majority of its employees are of one ethnic group without a balanced staff to reflect fairness and equity. Until this is corrected all does not bode well for future elections.

President Mohamed Irfan Ali recently stated that a Commission of Inquiry (COI) will be appointed to inquire and rectify GECOM and only after that is done then local government elections (LGE) will be held. He did not indicate when the COI will be appointed. The last LGE was held in 2018; and as such, the next LGE is due this year by law. That does not give much time for an international COI to be appointed, to do its work, implement changes and get ready for elections with the top executives in legal limbo.

According to another news entity, the President said: “I am not getting into Local Government Elections now… We have to ensure that we have a system that is working, a system that we can trust, a system that is professional, a system that operates in an unbiased manner so that the people of our country can have confidence,” he said in response to questions from the media.
Addressing the glitches in the system is the only way to avoid future electoral impasse, the President said. “We have to address the system,” he said.

The team of investigators have not yet been named but Dr. Ali has said they will be drawn from regional and International bodies; some of which were involved in observing the elections.
“I’m in constant contact with them (regional and international agents), they understand the urgency also and I am hoping we can get that off the ground very quickly,” he noted.
“The CoI and so on will help to highlight issues, weaknesses, challenges, opportunities, threats and in ensuring the system is fixed in the way it should be,” the President stated.

The PPP/Civic lost the 2015 elections in large part due to apathy from its supporters that they were neglected during the party’s 23 years rule. Even if it were to correct this anomaly their supporters may not get their votes reflected under today’s GECOM. What are the reasons for the delay to appoint a COI?

Vassan Ramracha