A scheduled Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) meeting was abandoned on Tuesday after the three Opposition-nominated commissioners walked out.
PPP-nominated GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj said he believes that the Opposition-nominated commissioners – Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin, and Desmond Trotman – aim to derail the execution of General and Regional elections on September 1, 2025.
According to Gunraj, the opposition commissioners showed no indication of participating in future meetings to deal with the 2025 elections work plan presented. But GECOM can continue its work, Gunraj highlighted.
“I hasten to add that the framers of the Constitution perhaps contemplated this, and set in place a provision to deal with issues such as this in the absence of a quorum,” Gunraj stated, directing attention to Article 226 of the Constitution.
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Article 226 (5) of the Constitution states – “Provided that if at any stage of a duly summoned meeting a quorum is not present, due to the absence of members therefrom – (i) without just cause, such just cause being determined by the Chairman, the meeting shall stand adjourned to a day not later than two calendar days.
Further: “…if at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not present, the members then present, being not less than four including the Chairman, shall be deemed to constitute a quorum and any decision made at that or any such meeting shall be valid in law and binding.”
So Gunraj posited, “GECOM’s work must go on.”
Gunraj said he hopes that the Chairman of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh would exercise this provision in the Constitution “to ensure that meetings are held regularly and the work of the Commission is executed without delay.”
He believes that the walkout by the Opposition-nominated commissioners was deliberate but not “unexpected.”
“The comments that were made in the meeting were quite indicative of their desire not to hold elections, not to have this country ensure its democratic mandate is carried out,” Gunraj said.
The Opposition-nominated commissioners do not believe that the body would be ready to conduct elections by September 1.
Gunraj disagreed and posited that GECOM would be ready for elections on September 1.
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