“This obviously is a legal issue involving the opposition and they have to resolve it”- AG declines to comment on GECOM Opposition row
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., says he will not be commenting on the ongoing issue involving opposition-appointed members of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), noting that it is a legal and constitutional matter that may eventually reach the courts.
Speaking on his weekly programme Issues in the News, Nandlall acknowledged that many persons have been asking for his views following reports that the GECOM Chair has taken a position regarding the opposition commissioners. However, he made it clear that he intends to stay out of the matter.
“GECOM is an autonomous, independent body and the chairperson has taken a position. This is obviously a legal issue involving the opposition, and they have to resolve it,” the Attorney General said.
He explained that while he was previously asked to share his views with the Commission earlier this year on a legal matter concerning laws drafted by his chambers, his input at that time was legitimate and procedural. “There was nothing wrong with my views being solicited,” he said. “I was not advising GECOM as their legal advisor.”
Nandlall recalled that when his opinion was previously sought, critics accused him of overstepping. “Every Tom, Dick, and Harrilall jumped on my back and said that I am advising GECOM and that it’s wrong and incestuous,” he remarked.
He emphasised that since the current matter could develop into a constitutional case, it would not be appropriate for him to comment publicly. “If it reaches the court, I will have to be a party because all constitutional matters require the Attorney General to be named as a respondent,” he noted.
Nandlall said those who feel aggrieved have the right to seek redress through the courts, where his legal position will be formally presented. “It’s a legal issue and they can have the matter ventilated there,” he added.
He concluded by saying he does not believe it is necessary for him to be “dragged into an opposition dispute or to comment on the independent exercise of GECOM’s prerogative on a matter that concerns GECOM.”
Back in June, then Alliance For Change (AFC) leader, Nigel Hughes, accused him of having a conflict of interest in relation to GECOM.
In a letter to GECOM Chairperson, Retired Justice Claudette Singh, Hughes argued that Nandlall’s political affiliation and public stance should disqualify him from advising the Commission ahead of the September 1 General and Regional Elections.
However, Nandlall has firmly rejected the accusation, stressing that he is not GECOM’s legal advisor and has never claimed to be. He clarified that the Attorney General’s Chambers occasionally provides legal opinions to GECOM and other state agencies when formally requested, but that does not amount to an ongoing advisory role.
