…Jagdeo refuses to participate, opposes new registration

PRESIDENT David Granger is expected to hold a high-level meeting with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) within days to ascertain its needs for the holding of credible General and Regional Elections.

Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo despite pushing for early elections has refused to be part of the meeting, though he was invited by the President. Constitutionally, elections were due next year, but following the passage of a no confidence motion against the government last year December early elections are likely. Government has since

challenged the validity of the vote and the matter is currently before the Court of Appeal. Jagdeo had initially pushed for elections by March 21, but has now revised this to April 30, 2019. However, GECOM has indicated that it cannot facilitate credible elections within the timeframe given, saying that it lacks the technical capability and financial resources to do so.

In a meeting with the Leader of the Opposition on Wednesday at the Ministry of the Presidency, President Granger said in keeping with his letter dated February 25, 2019, he would initiate consultations with GECOM on its readiness for the conduct of General and Regional elections in 2019. According to the Minister of State Joseph Harmon, that meeting will be held within three to four days. “The President has instructed that GECOM be advised about an early meeting; I will follow that up today (Wednesday) to determine when best,

but it’s going to have to be done within the next three to four days so that we can get from GECOM their readiness to deliver credible elections,” Minister Harmon said.
An invitation was extended to the Opposition Leader but he declined. “The President said why not meet GECOM jointly and I said to him ‘no, we have absolutely no interest in

meeting GECOM jointly,’” Jagdeo told reporters shortly after the meeting.

While President Granger has agreed to meet with the GECOM’s Chairman, Justice (Ret’d) James Patterson and the agency’s six commissioners, he maintains that the Executive cannot dictate the operations of the elections commission as being suggested by the Opposition.

“Let me make one thing clear, GECOM is an autonomous body, GECOM is an independent agency and there is no part of the Constitution which gives the President or the Executive in general, authority to interfere, intervene or intrude in the work of the elections commission.”

In his televised broadcast following the meeting, President Granger said, “So, this is a very respectful engagement and, as the Minister of State has pointed out, we will arrange this as quickly as possible so that the Guyanese people could be satisfied that we are moving towards elections.”

During his first meeting with the Leader of the Opposition in January after the Vote of No-Confidence against his Government, the President had agreed to have the Parliamentary Chief Whips Amna Ally and Gail Teixeira consult with the elections commission on behalf of the Government and the Opposition respectively. GECOM had informed the whips that elections could not be held within the three month timeframe as stipulated by the Constitution. In fact, the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield had indicated that GECOM would have needed a minimum 148 days to put all necessary systems in place for the holding of General and Regional elections if preparations had commenced in early February, and the date for election was on or before April 30 when the Official List of Electors will expire but the Commission had not given the Secretariat the green light.

However, with time far advanced, the 148 day timeline may no longer be applicable since it would now take the Commission past the April 30 expiration date of the Official List of Electors. At this stage, a new list is required through a process of House to House Registration. That process is estimated to take approximately nine months.

Moving the goal post
Despite the current facts surrounding the situation, the Opposition is maintaining that elections must be held sooner. Initially, Jagdeo had called for elections to be held by March 21, 2019 but he has since shifted the goal post, and is now demanding that elections be held by April 30, 2019 before the expiration of the Official List of Electors.

“I have named a date, a period up to April 30th. I’m sticking to that. I said in 50 days it could be done. You need 32 days for nomination and the rest of the time to notify the party before nomination day and every activity could be done simultaneously,” Jagdeo insisted on Wednesday.

The Chief Elections Officers had explained that of the 148 days, 105 would have been necessary for training of polling day staff but Jagdeo is of the opinion that the time can be fast-tracked to facilitate early elections.

“These are all the steps needed: the training; the procurement of the material; the printing of the ballot and nomination day and adequate time. All within 50 days can be done and then the party can say, further to this we are going to provide the money to enhance polling day or polling station security to ensure that only people who can vote, vote. They can do in that same 50 days a period of claims and objections so people can still go and get registered and refresh the list,” Jagdeo opined. He said House-to-House Registration is a no, no for the Opposition but with the time far advanced; this process would more than likely become a necessity for credible elections.

Credible elections
Minister Harmon, like the President, has underscored the importance of facilitating credible elections. “I think this is important, the President spoke about… it is about delivering credible elections and not just any elections that will end up creating more confusion than they solve problems,” he said.

President Granger was accompanied to the meeting by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Vice President and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs Sydney Allicock, the Minister of State Joseph Harmon, the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams, and Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally – Government’s Chief Whip in the House.

The Opposition Leader was accompanied by the Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, Anil Nandlall, Irfaan Ali, and Juan Edghill.