…Commission says work not being stymiedThe Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) says that it acknowledges the concerns of the People’s Progressive Party and has noted the specific accusation that GECOM is not meeting, due to lack of quorum.The Commission,NFL Jerseys Cheap China, in response to the PPP, stated that they had agreed that consequent upon the abandonment of preparations for the holding of Local Government Elections through no fault of GECOM, that Statutory Meetings would be held on a fortnightly basis.GECOM Public Relations Officer,NFL Jerseys Cheap, Vishnu Persaud,China Jerseys Cheap, yesterday stated that on three occasions,Cheap Sports Jerseys, dating back to January, scheduled Statutory Meetings had to be postponed due to the lack of quorum because two Commissioners nominated by the Leader of the Opposition were unable to attend.“It was also agreed that as has been the modus operandi, a special meeting of the Commission would be called to deal with any matter associated with the carrying out of any crucial task, which might arise.”In that regard it must be stated categorically, according to Persaud, that the Commission’s inability to have the (postponed) Statutory Meetings (as had been scheduled) has in no way affected the Work Plan for the conduct of the upcoming General and Regional Elections.This Plan is a work in progress that is constantly being reviewed by the Secretariat. “Any change to any critical path is immediately reported to the Chairman who without delay shares the document with the Commissioners.”He said, too, that it is imperative that the Commission points out that there exist legal provisions for treating with crucial matters should the Commission not be able to deal with any such if meetings were to be continuously postponed due to the lack of a quorum.The Guyana Constitution states: “For the purposes of the preceding paragraphs a quorum shall consist, in the case of the Elections Commission,Fernando Rodney Jersey, of the Chairman and not less than four members, two of whom have been appointed by the President in his own deliberate judgment and two from among members appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition tendered in accordance with,” article 161 (3) (b) of the constitutionersaud pointed out that if at any stage of a duly summoned meeting a quorum is not present, due to the absence of members therefore:- “without just cause, such just cause being determined by the Chairman, the meeting shall stand adjourned to a day not later than two calendar days; orin the case of the declaration of the results of the election of the President, the meeting shall stand adjourned to the following day, at the same time and place and notice of such adjournment shall be given to the absent members.”He said that “if at the adjourned meeting a Quorum is not present, the members then present, being not less than four including the Chairman, shall be deemed to constitute a quorum and any decision made at that or any such meeting shall be valid in law and binding”.Further, as had happened in the past, the Chairman could use the alternative of communicating with the Commissioners via the ‘round robin’ method to arrive at a consensus on any crucial matter which might require the immediate intervention of the Commission.Any such consensus would then be ratified at the next quorate Commission meeting.“Let it be noted that GECOM remains steadfast in its commitment to deliver the upcoming General and Regional Elections within the constitutional timeframe,Throwback Jerseys, in a free fair and transparent manner, which would generate the peace and tranquility similar to that which prevailed in the 2006 elections period.” |