─Preparation may go beyond 100 days says President Granger
DPI, Guyana, Sunday, June 14, 2020
There may be difficulty in the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) holding a Snap-Election at this time. This view was expressed by His Excellency President David Granger, in response to questions about the possible pronouncement of GECOM Chair, Justice Claudette Singh, on the recently concluded National Recount of ballots of the March 2nd General and Regional Elections.
His Excellency President David Granger
“If the declaration of the commission at present is that the election is to be done over, we might be waiting another hundred days. The Elections Commission is simply not capable of having snap elections” the Head of State said
To emphasize his point the President spoke of the challenging task undertaken by GECOM staff and Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, is preparing for the March 2nd General and Regional Election.
“It is extremely difficult in this country to do what he (Mr. Lowenfield) had to do. I could not print ballot papers, I could not decide where polling stations would be, train officers, all these things had to be done and that is one of the reasons why it was difficult to have snap elections.” The Head of State expressed.
A snap election is an election that is called earlier than a scheduled election. It is also called in a parliamentary system to decide on a pressing issue. It differs from a by-election, as this is held in a single political constituency to fill a vacancy arising during a government’s term of office.
Snap elections are not new to the region having taken place in; Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia.
https://dpi.gov.gy/gecom-unable-to-host-snap-elections-at-this-time/#gsc.tab=0