Bishop Juan Edghill of the Guyana Council of Churches (GCC) has been nominated to the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) as the Christian representative. The substitute representative is Pastor Roy Thakurdyal.

The two were nominated following voting on April 3. A press release from GCC said invitations were issued by telephone to representatives of the six Christian groups to attend a meeting hosted by Bishop Edghill, GCC's chairman.

The purpose of the meeting was to decide on the process for the nomination of the Christian nominee and substitute to the ERC.

The attendees of the meeting were Guyana Evangelical Fellowship, Guyana Conference of Seventh Day Adventists, Guyana United Apostolic Mystical Council, and GCC. The National Assembly of the Bahai's of Guyana and the Jewish Orthodox Church were the absentees.

The release said Pastor Hubert Jack of the Guyana Conference of Seventh Day Adventists was selected as the returning officer. March 27 was set as the date for the various groups to submit the nominees and substitutes with the cut-off time being 1100 hrs. Voting was set for April 3.

Representatives of all 25 denominations as listed on the schedule from the parliament office were to attend and had only one vote, which was done by secret ballot.

The release said that by 1100 hrs on March 27 only the Guyana Conference of Seven Day Adventists, Guyana United Apostolic Mystical Council, and GCC had submitted nominees.

The time was extended to 1200 hrs by the returning officer and attempts were made during the extended period to contact the groups which had not submitted nominees, GCC stated.

The release said a letter was received from the Spiritual Assembly of the Bahai's indicating its position, but at the close of the nominations the situation remained the same.

The nominees were Edghill and retired chief justice Rudolph Harper, with the substitute being Pastor Thakurdyal.

The names of the nominees were communicated to the Christian groups which were expected to have their representatives present at the April 3 meeting to vote for the representative and the substitute.

On voting day only 13 denominations were present viz Ethiopian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Christian Brethren Mission, African Methodist Episcopalian, Moravians, District Centre Church of the Nazarene, Full Gospel Fellowship, Assemblies of God of Guyana, Wesleyan Church, African Methodist Episcopalian, Guyana Conference of Seven Day Adventists, Outreach Ministries International, and the Guyana United Apostolic Mystical Council.

The release said the Methodist Church in Guyana and the Lutheran Church of Guyana stated by letter their inability to attend but indicated their votes in favour of Edghill as representative and Thakurdyal as the substitute.

The returning officer submitted to the clerk of the national assembly that Edghill received 11 votes and Harper one.