One week after the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) renewed the contract of its Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, Chairman of the elections body Justice (rt’d) Claudette Singh has publicly endorsed him as the best person to hold the post in the run up to the March 2, 2020 general elections.
The GECOM Chairman at a press conference on Wednesday said she believes he was the “fit and proper” person for the position, referencing his more than 20 years’ experience in conducting elections.
“He is a man with institutional knowledge and it is rare very that one would find a person fit to run this institution and a person who has worked in several areas in this election agency and manned three elections,” she told reporters at her High Street, Georgetown office.
Singh voted along with the three Government nominated Commissioners at GECOM to renew Lowenfield’s contract on December 10.
She explained that, in her opinion and by extension the three government nominated Commissioners, it was best to retain Lowenfield as the CEO instead of “having someone like this hanging.”
“In fact, the CEO had leave to proceed on and at this is crucial time, this was also taken into account,” the GECOM Chairman said.
Lowenfield’s contract would have come to an end in March 2020, days after the next general and regional elections.
The contract has been renewed for three years, in accordance with the CEO’s previous contracts.
The Opposition nominated commissioners had abstained from voting for the renewal of the contract.
