Funding for elections top of Parliamentary agenda – Pres. Granger

−Cabinet soon to prepare financial paper to present to the National Assembly   

DPI Guyana, Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Pending the outcome of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), President David Granger said that the priority will be to ensure that Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) receives the funding the body has requested to conduct Regional and General elections.

The Head of State was speaking to media operatives following the presentation of the Letters of Credence from Botswana and Zambia’s newly-accredited non-resident High Commissioners to Guyana at the Ministry of the Presidency today.

He reiterated, “Regardless of what happened at the supreme court, regardless of what happened at the Court of Appeal, regardless of what happens at the CCJ, we are going to ensure that we satisfy GECOM’s request…in other words, we are going to ensure that whatever happens at any level of the Judicial system Guyana is going to be prepared.”

According to President Granger, following the ruling by the Appeal Court on March 22, Cabinet has been reconvened, and a financial paper will be prepared to be presented in the National Assembly as the soonest possible time.

“We are committed to having credible elections in this country and I will engage GECOM to ensure that the request made to me by the Chairman will be satisfied…I am happy with the cooperation I have been receiving from the Chairman (Justice (Ret’d), James Patterson).”

In the 2019 National Budget GECOM was allocated in excess of $3Billion for house-to-house, but none for elections constitutionally due in 2020.

Synieka Thorne.

Image:  Keno George.