Despite a prompt response from Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo committing his time to meeting after President David Granger said he is ready to have a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission appointed as early as Monday, no date has been set for the two leaders to meet as yet.
This is according to People’s Progressive Party Executive Member Gail Teixeira when contacted on Saturday (July 13, 2019) afternoon.
However, the former Chief Whip noted that the two sides have been exchanging correspondences since Friday. That exchange, Texieira said, is continuing.
In handing down its consequential orders on Friday, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) had urged that Guyana’s political leaders appoint a new GECOM Chairman with the “utmost urgency”.
This is especially in light of the court’s previous ruling validating the December no-confidence motion, thus, triggering the need for fresh election.
Hours later, President David Granger had announced in his address to the nation that a new Chairman could be appointed as soon as Monday.
Subsequently, Jagdeo wrote government, indicating his availability over the weekend to meet. But a date for that meeting has not be set.
Since the CCJ ruled last month that former GECOM Chairman retired Justice James Patterson was appointed unconstitutional, he has resigned.
As such, Jagdeo and Granger have been trying to find consensus on selecting a replacement to carry out the mandated early elections.
The two leaders had appointed a committee of their respective representatives to hammer out a list of 6 names to be submitted to the Head of State but those talks had hit a stalemate earlier in the week, with the opposition accusing government negotiators of bad faith.
