Elections commission chair not daunted by death threats

GEORGETOWN (CMC):

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Justice Claudette Singh, has responded to threats on her life, saying that she is “not afraid” as she presses on with preparations for a recount from the March 2 general and regional elections.

“There is a bounty on my head from Friday night. I am not afraid because death is inevitable, and I believe in God,” Justice Singh told the media on Monday.

Threats against her life were made on social media website Facebook, apparently over her handling of the elections and GECOM’s plans for a national recount.

Singh said reports have been made to the Guyana Police Force.

Government-nominated GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander said he has also received similar threats, but insisted that the commission must carry out its mandate.

“Every day on Facebook they have something to say about me, they stalk me, all sorts of things, because of the level at which we are operating, but the work has to go on. ... You can only assume that there is ignorance and/or malintent to what they post,” he said.

“Our society is in trouble with the level of ignorance out there,” he said.

However, Alexander said he has not filed any reports with police.