The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will benefit from the expertise of two elections officials from the Commonwealth Secretariat. This was according to the GECOM’s Chairperson, Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh, earlier today, as she briefed the media on the agency’s preparedness for the March 2, 2020 polls.
These two individuals are: Dr. Kodwo Afari Gyan, former Chairman of the Ghana Electoral Commission; and Dr. Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, who served as 20th Chief Election Commissioner of India.
Thes officials are expected to be in Guyana early next month, and will serve as advisors to the commission. They will also be charged with overlooking the electoral process, Justice Singh said.
According to the Election Commission of India website, Dr. Zaidi worked in regulatory framework both at national & international levels and has been associated with the conduct of fair and free General Elections in over 20 states.
Dr. Kodwo is a Ghanaian academic, political scientist and election administrator. He was Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana from 1993 to 2015.
Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of GECOM, Keith Lowenfield noted that these advisors will not be impeding on the role of the commission, but rather, provide support on best practices.
The Commission will also be getting technical support from the United States Embassy through the International Republic Institute, Justice Singh noted.
