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Ar GUYANA | GECOM Under Scrutiny: The Politicization of Guyana's Electoral Commission
APNU nominated GECOM Commissioners: Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, October 30, 2024 - In a concerning development that threatens the integrity of Guyana's electoral system, the Opposition Commissioners say that there is a systematic transformation of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) through what appears to be politically motivated staffing decisions.
In a letter to the Editor, the Opposition appointed GECOM Commissioners say that this shift may fundamentally alter the commission's ability to function as an independent arbiter of electoral processes.
The Commissioner maintain that the controversy began prior to the 2020 elections when then-PPP-nominated commissioner Robeson Benn called for "ethnic balancing" of GECOM's staff. His successor, Clement Rohee, later reinforced this position.
While framed as an initiative for diversity, they argue that these calls mask a more calculated strategy to consolidate political control over the commission, potentially undermining merit-based employment practices.
The following is the full test of the GECOM Commissioners' letter:
October 29, 2024
PPP`s Capture of GECOM Continues Unabated
Dear Editor,
Prior to the 2020 elections, the PPP nominated commissioner of GECOM, Robeson Benn, called for the ethnic balancing of GECOM`s staff. After the elections, his replacement, Clement Rohee, echoed the same sentiment. Their overtly expressed concern is ethnic balance, which is intended to camouflage their objective to take political control of the Commission; and their disregard for merit based employment practices.
In reality, their pronouncements have been acted upon with the removal of Lowenfield, Myers, Hetsberger, Eastman, and Dazzel, all African Guyanese under various guises, as opposed to the treatment of Gocool Boodoo, who in 2006 fraudulently awarded an AFC constituency seat to the PPP/C, and in 2011 tabled, at the Commission, a fraudulent elections report.
If that attempted fraud had not been detected, the PPP/C would have fraudulently obtained the majority in Parliament.
Yet, absolutely no action was taken against Boodoo. He was retained in the position of Chief Elections Officer until his contract came to an end. However, some of the African Guyanese mentioned above were removed on the basis of allegations and dragged before the courts.
In effect, the PPP embarked on the capture of GECOM in pursuit of Jagan`s earlier declaration that the PPP having attained legislative power were devoid of administrative power, because of the predominance of African Guyanese in the public sector.
While, degutting GECOM of African Guyanese, the PPP through its GECOM commissioners and the facilitation of the chairperson has embarked on the corrupt replacement of those removed, and the filling of vacancies, with pro-PPP Indo-Guyanese and others who are handpicked by the PPP.
The current Chief Elections Officer was preferred for the position although he did not have the required experience. The Deputy was similarly preferred, although he too did not have the mandated years of experience.
Similar double standards have been adopted in the PPP`s quest to control GECOM through the installation of their preferred candidates to the senior positions. This was recently manifested when their preferred persons with lesser qualifications and experience; and fewer skills sets were selected to fill the positions of Civic and Voter Education Manager and Logistics Manager.
In effect, GECOM`s employment practice has been reduced to a voting process, in which each side of the divide votes for their candidates of choice with the chairperson complementing, unswervingly, the PPP nominated commissioners with her vote. It should be noted that the Commission has delegated its constitutional responsibility for the employment of junior staff to the Chief Elections Officer, who pursues practices similar to those outlined above.
The malpractices at GECOM are a daily vindication of all of the reports of the Observer Missions as of 2006. All of the reports called for the reform of GECOM, and specifically mentioned the need for the reconstituting of its membership with the aim of establishing a professional and impartial commission.
The rejection of the call for GECOM to engage a professional panel to conduct its recruitment process, clearly serves the interest of those who wish to establish their control over GECOM as much as they are doing the same across the entire public sector and even the civil society organizations.
The time for meaningful reform is now.
Yours Truly,
Desmond Trotman
Charles Corbin
Vincent Alexander
GECOM Commissioners