Earlier today, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo told the media that his party was taken by surprise when it learned that Chairwoman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh wrote President David Granger telling him that GECOM will be ready for elections by February next year.
Jagdeo noted that this decision is in total contradiction to the commitment made by Singh when she told the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) that she is in favor of having GECOM ready for elections before the end of the year. “We are surprised because she made a commitment for yearend only to spring this surprise on us.”
Jagdeo also said, “We are extremely disappointed with the date. But we are happy that the excuse has been taken away from the President.”
Jagdeo went on to tell the media that the PPP is distrusting of many individuals at GECOM but the Chairwoman is not one of them. He said that the PPP is paying attention, however, to the fact that many players at the GECOM Secretariat seem to be getting instruction from “congress place.”
In response to a question from Guyana Standard, Jagdeo said that despite the fact that Singh acted in contradiction to commitments she has made before, the PPP still has “great faith” in her.
He said that the PPP is aware that the Chairwoman is functioning in an environment that can be “tough.”
Pointed to the fact that many PPP supporters took to social media in protest of the decision made by Singh, Jagdeo said that that “no disparaging statements should be made against the GECOM Chair.”
