Guyana's President Irfaan Ali has named retired Justice of Appeal from Trinidad and Tobago, Stanley John to head the probe into the country's 2020 general elections.
President Ali made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday.
The other members are Former Attorney General, High Court Judge and Acting Justice of Appeal in the Eastern Caribbean, Godfrey P. Smith SC; Former Chair and Chief Elections Commissioner of India, Dr S. Y. Quraishi; and, Former Chancellor (Ag) of the Judiciary in Guyana, Carl Singh OR CCH.
"In keeping with my commitment to establish a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to inquire into the events of the 2020 General and Regional Elections, I am pleased to announce that the following persons shall be appointed to conduct this inquiry:
Chairman of the Commission – Retired Justice of Appeal Stanley John; Former Attorney General, High Court Judge and Acting Justice of Appeal in the Eastern Caribbean, Godfrey P. Smith SC; Former Chair and Chief Elections Commissioner of India, Dr S. Y. Quraishi; and, Former Chancellor (Ag), Carl Singh OR CCH, " President Ali announced.
He added that to assist the Commission with its work, Dr Afari Jayan and Dr Nasim Zaidi will serve as resource personnel.
In the coming weeks, the intended Commissioners and resource personnel will review the reports and documentation, set out modalities and commence work.
Approaching two years after the inquiry had been promised on August 8th 2020, the announcement by the President will shine the spotlight on alledged acts of rigging such as the reading of fake numbers from Statements of Poll and use of a bedsheet which frustrated the validation process.
It took five months before the final election result could be declared.
Several key electoral officials – including Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield and District Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo are before the court on criminal charges but the trials are yet to get underway.