Ramjattan contradicts Granger
GECOM chairmanship
– says past appointments constitutional
Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan is adamant that the previous appointments of Chairmen of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) were very much constitutional, a position that was previously rejected by President David Granger.
![President David Granger](http://guyanatimesgy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/President-David-Granger-3-1-683x1024.jpg)
Ramjattan, addressing Journalists at his party’s first bi-weekly press conference for 2017, was taking a dab at the current fiasco between Government and the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) over the nomination of a new chairman for the elections body. While the party said it supports the position the Head of State has taken on the matter, Ramjattan when questioned said previous appointments of Chairmen were within the confines of the Constitution.
Appointment constitutional
“Those were very much constitutional and if I might tell you this, it was very fortuitous or fortunate that the then President and Opposition Leader managed to find favour with a name in the first list.”
He said, however, that while it was fortunate in the past that both the serving President and the Opposition Leader were in agreement with the list provided , it does not mean President Granger has to accept one of the names from the first six provided.
![Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo](http://guyanatimesgy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/jagdeo-1.jpg)
President Granger last Wednesday said that he was moving to put an end to the breach of the Constitution, which saw persons without the qualifications of a Judge being appointed to the position of GECOM Chair. He said regardless of what obtained in the past, as current President of Guyana, it is his responsibility to ensure that the provisions of the Constitution will be followed.
Breaches
He was at the time responding to Guyana Times when asked about his acceptance of a nomination for the GECOM chairmanship in 2000 by then Opposition Leader Hugh Desmond Hoyte without having the necessary qualifications of a Judge as required under the Constitution.
![Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan](http://guyanatimesgy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Public-Security-Minister-Khemraj-Ramjattan.jpg)