Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield on more than 100 days vacation leave

Last Updated on Monday, 21 December 2020, 10:49 by Denis Chabrol

Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield continues to be on more than 100 days vacation leave for more  than two months now, spokeswoman for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Yolanda Ward said Monday.

“That accumulation was  there and he applied for that leave,” she told News-Talk Radio Guyana 103.1 FM/ Demerara Waves Online News.

Private criminal charges, which had been instituted in July, were subsequently withdrawn and the State took over those investigations. in August.

The GECOM spokeswoman said he applied on September 1 for 146 days leave commencing September 7 and ending January 30, 2021

Ms. Ward noted that a Public Service circular had been issued for employees to proceed on leave and the Chief Elections Officer decided top do so as he had not had the opportunity to proceed on leave for a number of years.

The leave  was approved by GECOM Chairman, Retired Justice Claudette Singh.

The Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers, who is also before the court on a charged related to alleged fraud in the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections, is performing the duties of Chief Elections Officer.

The Private Sector Commission at the weekend issued a call for those GECOM officers, who have been charged with election-related offences, to be removed from office before Local Government Elections are held.  Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, in reaction, on Monday heaped scorn on that business organisation, saying that it should cease being a mouthpiece for the People’s Progressive Party Civic-led administration.