Georgetown, Guyana – (February 1, 2017) President David Granger, today, provided an update to the media on the meeting between the Opposition and the Government on the interpretation of Article 161 (2), which speaks to the nominees for the appointment of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
On January 19, President Granger said that the most efficient way to ensure legal clarification on the requirements for the appointment of a Chairman of GECOM, would be for legal representatives of the Opposition and the Government to meet to discuss their interpretations of Article 161 (2). The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo has nominated the former Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nandlall to meet with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Basil Williams.
“I have asked them to meet and see in what ways they can have a common interpretation of the Constitution. In the final analysis, it is a constitutional matter and I felt that the Constitution was quite clear so if there were any opaqueness or obscurity I hope the meeting between the two attorneys would clarify that so I am anxious to move ahead. It is a constitutional office and my interpretation of the Constitution was quite clear,” President Granger said.
Meanwhile, Minister Williams, who is currently in Trinidad, in an invited comment said that the former Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nandall wrote to him in January asking that the meeting be organised any time after January 25. Given that he was in Jamaica at this time, Minister Williams said that he has undertaken to set a date next week for the meeting to happen.
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