GECOM to part ways with its legal officer Kurt DaSilva

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has voted to not renew the employment contract of its legal officer Kurt DaSilva.

DaSilva, who holds a Master of Laws Degree in Public Law from the University of the West Indies, was appointed to the position on March 1, 2022.

The decision to not renew his contract comes a few weeks after the legal officer found himself in hot water over a legal opinion he proffered in an elections-related court case. That legal opinion had not been sanctioned by GECOM or Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud.

The matter of DaSilva’s contract renewal came up during a Commission meeting today. The Commission ultimately voted not to renew his contract.

The decision was supported by GECOM Chairperson retired Justice Claudette Singh and the government-nominated commissioners. The opposition commissioners reportedly walked out of the meeting after the vote was taken.

This publication understands that the GECOM Chair cited DaSilva’s unsanctioned legal opinion during the court case as the reason for her decision.

The case in question, which was recently dismissed by Acting Chief Justice Roxanne George, was filed by APNU Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith-Joseph. Among other things, the APNU Chief Scrutineer was seeking to make residency a requirement for registration of voters for elections in Guyana.

During the proceedings, DaSilva took a legal position that was denounced by the CEO, who made it clear that he never instructed his legal officer to make such a submission and that it could cause confusion.