Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson, has been hospitalized.
The 85-year-old official missed a statutory meeting of commissioners last week because of illness.
This week, the Chairman was reportedly transferred from Davis Memorial Seventh Day Adventists, D’Urban Backlands, to Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital where tests and procedures were performed.
The Chairman was said to have been in the Intensive Care Unit.
It will be recalled that the official missed a weekly statutory meeting on 4th December because he was ill.
The previous week ended with the Opposition commissioners walking out.
Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson was hospitalized this week.
The commission would have been just coming out of Local Government Elections held on 12th November.
Reports of the elections as well as other critical issues are set to be discussed. However, it appears that no meeting will be held until next month.
According to an internal memorandum dated 4th December, 2018, the Chairman told commissioners that the next statutory meeting will not be held until January 8th, 2019.
He told them to indicate their availability and their agreement to the new date.
GECOM has six commissioners, excluding the Chairman. Three commissioners are nominated by the Government and three from the Opposition.
In October 2017, Patterson was sworn in by President David Granger to one of the most critical positions.
GECOM is an independent entity tasked with overseeing General Elections and LGE.
The positions are jealously guarded by political parties with the chairman post being something of a hot-seat.
