GECOM CEO rejects legal officer’s court remarks

GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer, Vishnu Persaud, is pushing back against statements made by the agency’s Legal Officer, Kurt Da Silva, during a High Court hearing on the House-to-House verification case. The case was filed by PNCR Chief Election Scrutineer, Carol Smith-Joseph.
In a public statement on Thursday, Persaud asserted that Da Silva, who was expected to speak on his behalf, failed to accurately represent the information provided to him.
“I am compelled to denounce the recent submission made by the Legal Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission during legal proceedings in which I am a respondent,” Persaud stated.
He clarified that Da Silva’s claim—that GECOM needs to separate lists and ballot papers for the General and Regional Elections—did not reflect the instructions he had given.
“It is unfortunate that these pronouncements were made by the Legal Officer, who purportedly represented me. Unfortunately, his submissions do not reflect my instructions. Not only were these statements unauthorized by me, but they are also unrelated to the court matter at hand. These remarks now risk causing confusion and misrepresentation regarding preparations for the upcoming elections,” Persaud emphasised.
He insisted on clarifying Da Silva’s statement, as it directly conflicts with his sworn Affidavit as a named respondent in the case.
“As the Statutory Officer responsible for leading the Commission’s Secretariat in the conduct of all General, Regional, and Local Government Elections in Guyana, I reject the legal officer’s pronouncements. They contradict the established process for preparing electors’ lists and ballots—an approach that has been followed for decades, including in the 2020 General and Regional Elections. Furthermore, to my knowledge, these matters have never been discussed by the Commission,” Persaud stated.
He further noted that, to the best of his knowledge, no stakeholder has ever advocated for splitting the ballot or preparing separate electors’ lists for the General and Regional Elections.
“It is my considered view that the legal officer’s pronouncements carry severe implications for election preparations by creating uncertainty among stakeholders, including voters, political parties, and international observers,” Persaud added.