He said that Guyana has had a turbulent electoral history, one in which persons died. “I would like a revamp of the entire electoral commission,” he reiterated. Over the years, GECOM has been criticised post-election day as regards the timely release of results but according to Surujbally , several factors , including considerations of Guyana’s terrain and the complexity of travelling to remote areas to ensure the numbers are correct, impact the timeliness and accuracy of the release of results.
Surujbally noted that GECOM’s expertise can also be utilised within CARICOM. Having headed an eight-member team as Chef de Mission of a CARICOM observer group to observe Haiti’s elections last November, he noted that GECOM can approach the International Standards Organisation (ISO) for certification. He said based on comments from observers in the past, including international observers, “they thought that our process is good.”
During the 28th Intercessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Governments of CARICOM in February, President Granger had noted that the regional body stands ready to assist Haiti to rebuild its economy. According to Surujbally, GECOM has reached a state where it can assist in strengthening the electoral process of that country.
“Haiti is in such need of electoral help in their methodologies which we have so well covered, “ he said.
Speaking about his future, Surujbally said that his time will revolve around his personal life. Asked whether migration lies in his plans, he staunchly noted that he will “never leave this country.” Being someone who rose from being a little boy from Robb Street to become the chairman of GECOM, he said his story may be one which he can pen in a book, but he noted that such a feat may be a self-serving move. He added however, that he has a “bucket-list” and there are two outstanding items on his list.
Below is a written extract of GECOM) , Dr Steve Surujbally speech:
Over the last 15½ years, you the members of the media have walked the walk together with me. There were some stumblings on both sides during this journey, but never did I feel any malevolence directed at me. And now as I ride away into the sunset of my retirement, away from the involvement in the management and supervision of 4 pre-, peri-, post- and inter-electoral periods and serving as the bridge between the Commission and the Secretariat, I think I can say without fear of contradiction, disagreement or repudiation that when we look back at these 15 ½ years we can declare with some conviction and resonance that we did well together, and that together we served our nation well.
Of course, there will be those who will migrate from under the rocks where they were hiding, and they will in their emergence carry out attacks with which they were too cowardly to confront me when I was in Office. I dare say that any such damnation, well spiced with calumnies and unfounded allegations, will come from persons [groups] who have an agenda, the principal constituent of which is to besmirch GECOM’s achievements. Did we not see this in 2015 when a few false Statements of Poll suddenly appeared with the sole objective of tarnishing our image, an image which we assiduously cultivated by ensuring that all the necessary elements associated with credible elections were developed and placed into the whole structure of optimal elections management. Everyone knew that those SOPs could never have passed through the rigourous scrutiny of Commissioners and GECOM staff. They could never have been counted and could never have been included in the final total.
The truth be told: no Chairman should be subjected unabatedly and relentlessly, with ever increasing venom, to the type of harassment and provocation which are solely based on disgruntlement over the outcome of the polls — [without reason].
Right at the commencement of my term in Office, some scandalous utterances were made — none of which had even an iota of credence.
I have experienced people of unknown origin and without any group claiming responsibility for their actions coming to my home, with their supposedly meaningful (spiritual) incantations, accompanied with eggs, rice, fire and water mumbo-jumbo, to denounce my decisions (and not realizing that such fetishism can only work on subjects who believe in such invocations). What their despicable actions served to do, however, was terrorize the neighbourhood, frighten young impressionable children and disturb ailing old people, and making Guyana the laughing stock of the Caribbean and further afield.
The Chairman has had, over the last few months, to withstand “picketers” and “protestors”, a motley bunch of placard carriers, chanting that he must go — without ever being able to spell his name correctly. (We have the pictures and the footage). Now, please understand that personally I can withstand such pressures. A Chairman must not only be pachyderm but resolute and fearless. My argument, however, is that the subjection of a GECOM Chairperson to continuous abuse must not be considered par for the course. Such actions do not adhere to the tenets associated with Democracy. Forget the position of Chairman. As a citizen of our beloved country, it is heartrending to witness the depth to which political parties can sink — as they seek to erode the credibility of a tested and proven Elections Management Body. In Guyana, Elections must be considered the most important tile in the mosaic of democracy. Such confounded misbehaviour against GECOM must cease. Win or lose, the behaviour of the combatants must be gracious. Words and expressions used must not reflect the banalities associated with the gutter.
At GECOM, at the Chairman’s Office, our statements and our retorts to the assertions of others — especially those who wish to assume leadership of the country — have never been contentious to the point of rudeness, never vile, never hostile. And, believe me, we could be. Only recently, when the CEO was attacked viciously and his character assaulted, he behaved with decorum. It was especially worthy of him when he said that he had no intention of allowing himself to be tried and convicted in the newspapers. He said that there is a process that must be followed relative to state audits/forensic audits. All defences, all explanations would be given to the relevant and legal authorities at the appropriate time, if necessary. I subscribe to that approach. Shouting vicious and unsubstantiated crude and rhetoric is not the environment we should create, not one that we should be proud of and definitely not one that deserves response.
But look, we have our documented record. I suppose the PRO could share the list of our undertakings and achievements over the last 15 ½ years, point for point. I do hope that we have paved the way in such a manner that my successor will have a less difficult environment in which to work. I am prepared to give whatever advice he or she may request on any particular matter. As you are aware, right after the 2011 elections, I had requested release from this job. I visited the leaders of the main political parties. They all felt and demanded that I should stay on — and I did. Now no more. If I may paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King: Free at last, God Almighty, free at last.
Perhaps my departure will stimulate and alacritize the process which will finally find my replacement.
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