Surujbally will not demit office month end

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Dr. Steve Surujbally said circumstances may not permit him to demit office on November 30 as intended.

Dr. Surujbally, who has been at the helm of GECOM since 2001, had formally informed President David Granger, Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo and the Commission of his intention to demit office on November 30, 2016.

But on Monday, he told Guyana Chronicle that circumstances may not permit him to step down as planned. “That was my intention. (But) There are developments and occurrences that dictate that I might have to stay on for a week or two,” Dr. Surujbally told this newspaper.

The Government while accepting Dr. Surujbally’s position has insisted on him creating the platform for seamless transition of his successor.

Government has reportedly made it clear to Dr. Surujbally that effective on the day of him demitting office will be the date of the assumption of office, (swearing in of the new chairman.) Additionally, Government has insisted that all arrangements and decisions be made to ensure that the secretariat is stable and that the work programme of the commission continues seamlessly.

Speaking on the issue, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee said the party has been reliably informed that Dr. Surujbally will proceed on his retirement following his 90 days annual vacation leave which took effect on September 1, 2016. While not objection to Dr. Surujbally’s decision to vacate his office, Rohee said the PPP is concerned that since he has been on leave, meetings of the Commission have not been held to deal with substantive issues. “Letters have been written by members of GECOM to Dr. Surujbally requesting the convening of GECOM meetings to discuss matters of strategic importance to the work of the commission,” Rohee said while speaking at Freedom House.