GEORGETOWN – The political vacuum in the Opposition has paralyzed the nation’s electoral body, prompting Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, to declare that the warring opposition parties must resolve their dispute over seats on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in the courts, as he will not be “dragged in an opposition dispute.”
The crisis began when GECOM Chairperson, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, paused all election-related meetings, citing an anticipated transition in the Opposition’s GECOM representatives following the electoral defeat of APNU by the Azruddin Mohamed-led WIN Party. This move sparked immediate pushback from APNU Commissioner Vincent Alexander, who questioned the Chairperson’s interpretation of the Constitution.
Weighing in on his weekly programme Issues in the News, Nandlall asserted that the constitutional deadlock leaves the aggrieved parties with a clear path: “…Those who are aggrieved obviously must know that they have recourse to the court because it a legal issue and they can have the matter ventilated there.”
Nandlall clarified his refusal to comment further, noting his statutory role as Attorney General requires him to be a party to the case if it reaches the High Court.
“My views will be expressed at that forum…. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to be dragged in an opposition dispute or comment on the independent exercise of GECOM’s prerogative on a matter that concerns GECOM.”
