GECOM’s Legal Officer’s contract not renewed following arguments in residency case

Apr 09, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News – The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Tuesday voted against the renewal of its legal officer, Kurt DaSilva’s contract.

The three government-nominated commissioners, Clement Rohee, Sase Gunraj and Manoj Narayan voted against the renewal of DaSilva’s contract. Their vote was supported by Chairperson of GECOM, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh while the Opposition-nominated commissioners Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman walked out of the meeting.

DaSilva was appointed the Commission’s Legal Officer in 2022. His contract recently came to an end and a request for renewal was put to the Commission. Tuesday’s meeting followed a March 21, 2025 statement by the GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, criticising DaSilva’s submissions in a court case challenging the commission to adopt a better voter verification process.

The case, filed by People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member Carol Smith-Joseph, sought judicial review of the voter registration process, particularly the need for verification of the addresses provided by registrants. Smith-Joseph had argued that checks of some addresses revealed empty lots or abandoned homes.

DaSilva who appeared before Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, contended that the verification issue cannot be addressed, in the manner suggested by Joseph as that suggestion effectively reimposes a residency requirement for Guyanese citizens for General Elections even though the Court has expressly said that this would be unconstitutional.

DaSilva had suggested that while GECOM is not in agreement with Joseph’s contention on the issue of verification, he does see a need for there to be a separate list of electors for Regional and General Elections. DaSilva posited that the change must be to the statutory provision to ensure that the provisions governing the conduct of the elections comply first with the Constitution.

As such, it would now be necessary for ballots for General Elections and Regional Elections to be printed separately.

The attorney’s statement to the court did not find favour with the CEO who denounced the submission.

Following Tuesday’s vote, Alexander and the two other opposition – nominated commissioners expressed disappointment with the decision labelling Justice Singh’s actions as “inconsistent and unfair”.

“Justice Claudette Singh submission is one that contradicts her previous appraisal of the legal officer… this falls in line with the position of the commissioners who are the nominees of the government,” Alexander stated.

Alexander, the longest serving commissioner continued: “We consider that she is very inconsistent and seems to be towing to whatever the government or commissioners say. If you look at the process, it’s unfair. It had other processes with other officers where we identified inconsistencies and were given contracts and she appraised this guy, gave him a glowing report but then relied upon the recent matter in the court to now not renew this contract in fact to dismiss him for all intents and purposes.”

Similar sentiments were echoed by the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

“GECOM Legal Officer’s contract not renewed after his arguments in opposition residency case. Claudette Singh voted with the PPP. PNCR/APNU will fight this! Free and fair elections with a clean list is a MUST!” the party said in a terse statement.

In contrast commissioner, Gunraj defended the decision, stating that Singh had provided substantial justification for her vote to not renew DaSilva’s contract.  During a live interview with Inews, Gunraj explained, “Chairman, retired Justice Claudette Singh, rendered her vote and gave very elaborate reasons for voting against the renewal of the legal officer’s contract. The chairman provided a plethora of reasons, some of which concerned the most recent matter the Commission was involved in—the application brought by Carol Smith-Joseph, the Chief Scrutineer of the PNC.”

Gunraj outlined that DaSilva was not the first legal officer whose contract was not renewed by the commission. “You’d recall that in the past, officers were actually sent home and they did not even have consideration of their renewals when the Commission was without a chairman. When the Commission was finally reconstituted, those positions went out to tender and even the incumbents were not, in some instances, favourably considered for reemployment by the Commission,” Gunraj added.

 

 

 

 

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• Clement Rohee, GECOM legal officer, Kurt DaSilva, Sase Gunraj and Manoj Narayan

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