Even though the Alliance for Change (AFC) had nominated one of its members, former Member of Parliament, Trevor Williams for the post of Commissioner at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) following the death of Sandra Jones, it seems the larger party in the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity – APNU – will be appointing one of their own.

A media advisory from the Ministry of the Presidency has outlined that President David Granger will be swearing-in Desmond Trotman as the new Commissioner of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) today (Friday) at 12:00hrs at the State House.

Trotman, is a Member of Parliament serving under the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) a smaller party within the coalition APNU.

This is as, AFC Chairman Khemraj Ramjattan on Thursday confirmed reports that the party had nominated Williams for the post.

Ramjattan said following the death of Sandra Jones, President David Granger had requested that the party present a name to fill this vacant post. He said Williams was suggested and the party agreed on having his name submitted which it did.

He noted that the AFC, as a third party, has always pressed to have one of its members sit on the body. He said this was mainly on account of the fact that the party had representation in Parliament where at one time it held five seats and another time it had seven seats.

Williams has been active in politics since 2006 and at one time headed the youth arm of the AFC. He was suggested to be Director of Youth, but was never appointed to that position.

Ramjattan had said should the President for some reason not find favour with Williams, there is Beverley Alert, a former spokesperson for the AFC party, who will be the alternative nominee.

Alert was appointed the head of the then Government Information Agency (GINA) now the Department of Public Information (DPI). However, following certain alleged financial irregularities she was seconded to another role at the National Communications Network (NCN).

The GECOM post would have been a key one for the party. The Commission comprises three members from the Opposition and three from the Government. The Chairman is the seventh person.