ANUG joins call for early elections

…claims CCJ pronounced on credibility of voters’ list

A NEW and United Guyana (ANUG) has joined the call for the strict adherence to the Caribbean Court of Justice’s decision for the government to respect and uphold Article 106(7) of the constitution which mandates elections be held within three months of the passage of a no-confidence motion.

In a statement, ANUG said it has now been seven months since the passage of the no-confidence motion, which was deemed to have been successfully passed. “It was made clear by the CCJ that there were no questions of credibility regarding the voters’ list on account of the existence of an effective process of continuous registration.”

The CCJ judgement and order never mentioned anything about credibility of voters’ list. According to Justice Adrian Saunders, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice at Paragraph Five of the no-confidence motion judgment: “The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has the responsibility to conduct Elections …” Secondly, Justice Saunders, expressed “Article 106 of the Constitution invests in the President and the National Assembly (and implicitly in GECOM), responsibilities that impact on the precise timing of the elections which must be held.

It would not therefore be right for the court, by the issuance of coercive orders or detailed directives, to presume to instruct these bodies on how they must act and thereby pre-empt the performance by them of their constitutional responsibilities. It is not, for example, the role of the court to establish a date on or by which the elections must be held, or to lay down timelines and deadlines that, in principle, are the preserve of political actors guided by constitutional imperatives. The court must assume that these bodies and personages will exercise their responsibilities with integrity…”

Justice Saunders added at Paragraph Three of the no-confidence motion judgment: “It is now a matter of the greatest public importance that the President and the leader of the opposition should, as soon as possible, embark upon and conclude the process of appointing a new GECOM Chairman.”

According to ANUG, GECOM’s defiance was further strengthened by the late publication of the order dated June 11, 2019 in the Official Gazette, more than one month after it was drafted. “This leads us to believe that the commission’s actions, which are in contempt of court, were deliberate and pre-meditated. A scheme to deliberately violate the Constitution of Guyana, in the absence of any necessary or practical reasons for doing so, apart from an objective to enable the ruling party to hold on to power for as long as possible, is an abuse of the commission’s power, done for an improper purpose, and as such, their actions are illegal. This has placed the leadership of the commission’s integrity under question, and in the absence of a chairman, has stripped the nation of the confidence that the process is fair and in the interest of all parties.

Where the commission is deemed to be compromised in the eyes of the public, where the commission does not enjoy public confidence, there are grave implications for national stability. We are asking that the President and leader of the opposition come to a quick decision on a Chairman of GECOM, and elections be called within the timeframe alluded to by the CCJ,” ANUG said.

In a statement, GECOM says the countrywide exercise is in keeping with a decision of the commission on February 19, 2019 and in accordance with Order No. 25 of 2019 dated June 11, 2019. “Registration is a legal requirement according to the National Registration Act, Chapter 19:08 and therefore all eligible persons are mandated to register. House-to-house registration is a new registration exercise and therefore all eligible persons must register even if they were previously registered,” GECOM asserted.

According to the commission, upon conclusion of this exercise, a new National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB) which is reflective of the current Guyanese population will be created. Subsequently, the Official List of Electors (OLE) will be extracted for the purpose of conducting General and Regional Elections.

“Guyanese citizens by birth, descent, naturalisation or registration, 14 years and older by October 31, 2019 or a citizen of a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for a period of no less than one year preceding the qualifying date are all eligible for registration,” GECOM stated. It has urged residents to have the relevant documents required for registration ready and be on the lookout for GECOM’s Registration Officials in their area.

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