Justice (retired) Claudette Singh was Monday morning sworn in as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission.
Her name was chosen from a list of six submitted by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo to the President last Friday.
Jagdeo and commissioners of GECOM were present for the swearing-in ceremony at the Ministry of the Presidency. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Vice Presidents Khemraj Ramjattan and Sydney Allicock, government ministers, the Chief Justice, and other dignitaries were also present.
He said that Justice Singh satisfied constitutional requirements for being appointed and said she is respected widely for her integrity, impartiality and her independence.
“I am confident she will discharge her duties in accord with her oath of office and compliance with the constitution and our electoral laws,” the President declared.
During a brief speech, the President acknowledged the independence of GECOM in managing elections in Guyana, stating that free, fair, credible and timely elections are essential elements of a democratic state.
“The Elections Commission is not a play-thing. Its independence is a condition for engendering confidence and public trust in the electoral system and for the efficient conduct of elections,” he stated.
With Justice Singh’s appointment, the President noted that GECOM is now properly constituted and “can continue to prepare for the conduct of free, fair and timely elections.”
Justice Singh was called to the Bar in London in 1973 and was admitted to practice in Guyana in 1976. Over the years, she excelled in the legal profession and was appointed Deputy Solicitor General, then Puisne Judge and subsequently a Justice of Appeal.
After her retirement, she led the Justice Reform Project in Guyana and until her appointment as chairman of GECOM she was serving as the Police Legal Adviser.
