Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo has submitted his new list of nominees for the consideration for the Elections Commission Chairman position to President David Granger.

The submission is in keeping with provisions of Article 161(2) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.     The six (6) names are as follows:

The six nominees are retired Justice of Appeal B.S Roy, retired Justice William Ramlall, Attorney and former Magistrate, Oneidge Walrond-Allicock,  Attorneys Kashir Khan and Nadia Sagar along with businessman and pilot, Captain Gerry Gouveia.

The Opposition Leader said arriving at the six (6) names was not an easy task, pointing out that “I embarked upon an elaborate and protracted public and private consultative process which lasted several weeks, during which I solicited the views of, and sought nominations from, many nationally renowned persons and various important stakeholders’ and representative organizations, in my efforts to ensure that I present six (6) names to the President who satisfy the requirements contemplated by Article 161(2) of the Constitution.”

The Opposition Leader’s first list of nominees was rejected by the President, who pointed out that in keeping with the Constitution, the nominees should be persons who would have served as Judges, qualified to be a Judge or persons who are “fit and proper”.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

With the submission of the new list, Mr. Jagdeo said “it will be observed, that in respect of the names which I submitted to the President, one(1) is a former Judge of the Court of Appeal of Guyana; one(1) is a former Judge of the High Court of Guyana; three(3) are Attorneys-at-law with over ten(10) years of good standing at the Guyana Bar and one(1) is a former Magistrate and therefore, qualify to be Judges of a Court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in Guyana, in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana; and one(1) is a former Captain of the Guyana Defence Force, a Pilot, and a Businessman and Entrepreneur.”

The President will now be expected to select one of the six nominees for the position. He could also reject all of them as unsuitable. However, he  has stated that he will not make any decision on his own, and whoever is chosen would be someone who enjoys the support of both the President and Opposition for the job.

Related posts:

New GECOM nomination list to be submitted as high level team to be established in case list in rejected It would be “extremely unreasonable” for President to ask for new GECOM nomination list -Jagdeo Jagdeo still to submit new list of GECOM Chairman nominees Jagdeo to write Granger on “unacceptable” GECOM nomination list