Leader of the Opposition and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, said his party is ready for the Regional and General Elections set for September 1.
However, he noted that Opposition-nominated commissioners at GECOM have claimed that the timeframe announced for the upcoming General and Regional Elections was not finalised by the Commission and have accused the Chairperson of unilaterally naming a date for the elections.
GECOM on Wednesday rejected this assertion as misleading.
According to GECOM, on May 23, President Dr Irfaan Ali contacted Chairperson Claudette Singh to ask whether elections could be held within three months.
She then consulted the Chief Election Officer, who said he had already prepared a draft plan in case early elections were needed. GECOM says that the advice given was based on careful consultation, not a one-sided decision.
Norton also accused GECOM of not conducting a review of the 2020 elections, but GECOM had indicated that it cannot undertake an exercise that falls within the remit of the court.
The Opposition Leader, however, noted that notwithstanding these issues, his party continues to move ahead with its election preparations. He said the party has been preparing and continues to do so, with training for Election Day workers already ongoing.
The party, he said, is on course with its campaign for the upcoming 2025 elections.
