The Chairman of GECOM dismantles the Opposition Commissioners’ claim that she refused to meet PNCR

The retired Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Justice Claudette Singh, has refuted the Opposition Commissioners’ claims that she refused to meet with the Secretary General of the National People’s Congress Reform, Amna Ally.
She was at the time responding to a statement issued by Opposition Commissioners Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman, who claimed to have walked out of the GECOM meeting after Singh refused to meet with Ally and a delegation from the APNU + AFC “On the basis that such a meeting is unprecedented”.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Justice Singh said that Ally had written to her on January 7, 2021 requesting “you individually engage as Chair of the Commission to put forward our proposals of the issues involved before taking part in the Commission’s meeting.”
According to Justice Singh, in her response to Ally, dated January 7, 2021, she invited the team to meet the Commission at 14:00 h on January 12, 2021.
“In a separate communication on the same day, I also asked that any issues likely to be raised are matters to be addressed by the Commission, and I recommended that proposals be sent in writing so that they can send to Commissioners for inspection. and consideration before the meeting, ”said Justice Singh in her statement.

On January 11, 2021, Justice Singh said, in response, Ally repeated her request to meet individually to discuss “registration issues”, noting that “it is public knowledge that you have facilitated meetings with other foreign and domestic stakeholders without major formalities… ”. It specifically chose that a meeting with the full Commission can be held after a meeting with the PNCR.
“I further advised Ms Ally on 12th January, 2021, prior to the Commission meeting, of my request that the team meet with the” full Commission, as is customary in meeting Political Parties “. I explained that “this methodology has been quite useful in ensuring that all Commissioners collectively benefit from the issues that need to be addressed for later consideration and decision,” the evening statement read March.
The claim made by Alexander, Corbin and Trotman Commissioners, Justice Singh, added that it was at least very misleading.
“As Chair of GECOM, I have never engaged with any political party on my own. Proposals made by stakeholders are always welcomed, and being heard by the full Commission allows for more meaningful engagement at that level. In any event, as Chair, I reiterate that it is appropriate to engage with political parties at Commission level, so that their concerns can be discussed and, where necessary, action taken. It was for these very reasons that I invited Ms Ally to meet the Commission as a whole, as would any other political party expressing a desire to meet with me individually, ”said Justice Singh.
Earlier on Tuesday, three Opposition Commissioners claimed to have walked out of the meeting since Singh refused to meet with Ally. In a statement, the trio said, “The APNU-AFC is a major stakeholder, and as such we consider it discourteous, at least, for it not to entertain their presence. The current environment in the Commission is not conductive for briefings of the kind sought. Currently, GECOM is about to make major voter registration decisions, a litigation issue that needs serious and careful consideration before making a decision. As such, at least, briefing any key stakeholder should be useful, if not essential. ”