The post of Chief Election Officer is yet again under scrutiny — this time from a senior employee at the Elections and Boundaries Commission who has signalled her intention to mount a legal challenge over being bypassed for the post.
Senior legal officer Fern Narcis-Scope was appointed to the post in September and the Opposition had raised a query about her familial link to a government minister.
In a letter sent to the EBC and the Public Service Commission (PSC) yesterday, attorneys representing Deputy Chief Election Officer Lena Sahadeo made requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for information and records related to the PSC’s recruitment for the post.
Sahadeo’s lawyers —Abdel Mohammed and Kent Samlal—said their client was concerned with the recruitment process, which she participated earlier this year, and her fears were compounded by the recent political furore over Narcis-Scope’s appointment.
“Our client has further instructed that at her interview process, she felt rushed and was prevented from answering questions “in the interest of time” and as a result, she instructs that she may not have been treated fairly in the interview process,” Mohammed said.
Sahadeo’s lawyers requested that the EBC and PSC disclose the criteria used for selection, a list of all the persons interviewed, Narcis-Scope’s curriculum vitae, interview notes and Sahadeo’s ranking compared to other candidates.
They gave both public bodies 30 days to respond to the requests and indicated that they felt that some of the documents, which may be exempt from disclosure, should be released nonetheless due to the strong public interest concerns over the appointment.
Sahadeo, the holder of a BSc in Computer Studies and an MBA, has been employed with the EBC for over 24 years. She had previously acted in the position after the resignation of former officeholder Ramesh Nanan.
After she receives the documents, Sahadeo will decide if she wants to challenge the EBC and the PSC for breaches of her constitutional rights and/or challenge the process used by the PSC.
Issues with Narcis-Scope’s appointment were first raised by Opposition Senator Wade Mark in Parliament, two weeks ago.
Mark questioned how Narcis-Scope, a senior legal officer with eight years service, was given the post and claimed she was related to Public Administration Minister Maxie Cuffie.
The EBC has since denied that the two are related and has deflected questions to the PSC, which it says had the sole remit over the appointment.
PSC chairman Maureen Mancouck said previously, “The position was advertised. We had a process and the person who was appointed (at EBC) was the person who topped the list.”