BREAKING: GECOM sends home Lowenfield, Myers, Mingo

Last Updated on Thursday, 12 August 2021, 13:50 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), by a majority vote of four to three, on Thursday voted in favour of the termination of the employment contracts of the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers and the Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

“Thank Allah It is over at last! No more, Lowenfield, Myers or Mingo at Gecom!,” said Election Commissioner Bibi Shadick on Facebook.

Sources said the three opposition-aligned Election Commissioners- Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman -abstained.

The Chairman of GECOM, Retired Justice Claudette Singh voted in favour of the termination of the contracts of the trio.

“All will be paid in lieu of notice,” in accordance with their employment contracts.

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-aligned Election Commissioners had initially tabled motions for the dismissal of Messrs. Lowenfield and Mingo and Ms. Myers but that was later amended to include termination and payment in lieu of notice.

The amendment had been made after the three opposition commissioners and Mr. Lowenfield had claimed that the trio would not have had a fair hearing by the commission because of public statements that had been made by Election Commissioners Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj.

The motions have been retained as part of GECOM’s records.

The trio has been cited for several alleged irregularities connected to the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections and the subsequent five-month wait for GECOM’s declaration of the results.

They face similar charges in the Magistrates’ Court.