AFC stands behind President’s rejection of Jagdeo’s GECOM candidate list

AFC Leader and Minister of Public Security, Attorney Khemraj Ramjattan, told a media conference on Friday that the President acted within his constitutional right to reject the nominees and he really does not need to provide any reasoning to the Leader of the Opposition.

AFC stands behind President’s rejection of Jagdeo’s GECOM candidate list

The Alliance For Change,which forms part of the Coalition government, is standing behind President David Granger’s decision to reject the Opposition Leader’s first list of nominees for the GECOM Chairman job based on the list being unacceptable.

AFC Leader and Minister of Public Security, Attorney Khemraj Ramjattan, told a media conference on Friday that the President acted within his constitutional right to reject the nominees and he really does not need to provide any reasoning to the Leader of the Opposition.

“It is totally Constitutional what the President is doing. And that is what I understand he has been saying.  They (the PPP)  probably want to do a piece of mischief in relation to the President’s statement about it has to be a Judge…I understand that the President found that these are six unacceptable names and that’s it”, he said.

Ramjattan reminded that the Constitution allows for the Leader of the Opposition to submit a new list once the original list was rejected. He said that is what Jagdeo should be focusing on  rather than making “outrageous” statements and demands.

He said that the President does not even need to offer explanations since he has already found the list “unacceptable”.

“So all this nonsense that Anil Nandlall talking about he will carry it to court and now Jagdeo jumping on bandwagon about he will go to CCJ, well you have to appeal at High Court before you reach CCJ, in case they don’t know”

Ramjattan brushed aside Jagdeo’s request for a meeting with the President, saying that Jagdeo has shown disrespect to the Presidency by staying out of Parliament when the President went there to address the house. He said he does not know why Jagdeo believes that the President should come running now, when he requests a meeting.

President David Granger has asked the Opposition Leader to submit a new list of nominees for the GECOM top job after declaring that the first list of six names was “unacceptable” because the persons do not fit the constitutional requirements for the job.

The Constitution requires that whoever is appointed to the GECOM Chairman job be someone who is a Judge, served as a Judge, qualified to be a Judge or is fit and proper for the post. The Opposition Leader now wants the President to provide him with a clarification on his interpretation of the Constitutional requirements. He has threatened to go to the Courts for an interpretation.

President Granger on Wednesday told members of the media that he is not in to playing politics on the issue, but rather following the Constitution. He also said that his decision will not be based on decisions by past Presidents on the issue.

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