President Granger instructs GECOM to prepare for elections

…concedes it should have been March 19, 2019

…asks to “consult” Opposition

President David Granger replied on Tuesday to the Chairman of GECOM Justice James Patterson, who had informed him that the organization could not meet the three-month time frame for General and Regional Elections (RGE) triggered by the successful no-confidence motion (NCM) brought by the PPP in the National Assembly on 12-21-18 and which is therefore Constitutionally due on March 19, 2019.

The President instructed GECOM to “commence preparations for the RGE” and promised to “initiate measures to provide the requested funds and to “seek the approval of the National Assembly to ensure that an agreement can be reached, given both the Constitutional requirements and GECOM capability.”

The President is also understood to have written the Leader of the Opposition, Bharat Jagdeo to such effect.

The latter has previously indicated that he expects GECOM to follow the dictate of the Constitution and hold elections on March 19, 2019 since the term of the present government would have come to an end at that time, following the mandated resignation of the President and Cabinet immediately following the successful passage of the NCM and GECOM could use funds already Budgeted.

Meanwhile, in light of this new development, the President has departed Guyana earlier today for Cuba to receive further medical treatment.