The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has reported that it is on track to meet the November 14 readiness target for elections due this year. In this regard, it has indicated that on Monday it will present the Official List of Electors (OLE) to President Bharrat Jagdeo. This is welcome news for most Guyanese as they anxiously await the announcement of the elections date by the President and based on timelines, it is likely that we will see a late November/early December poll.
GECOM’s PRO Vishnu Persaud told this newspaper that:“Elections constitutionally have to be held before December 28th and we have set November 14th as the date when we will be ready. Our work plan is a work in progress that is constantly under review, but as of now we are on track,” Persaud said.
He explained that constitutionally, the Head of State is responsible for setting the date for the elections, an announcement that must be made a month ahead of the polling day itself.
Persaud said, “GECOM’s responsibility is being ready.”
The last elections held in 2006 were well conducted and very peaceful and incident free and perhaps was the best ever conducted election in our post-colonial era.
It is the expectation that the same will prevail for the upcoming elections as any form of violence or tension will only harm our developmental process which is currently moving apace.
In this regard, all political parties and stakeholders have a vital role in ensuring that the process is a smooth and peaceful one. And therefore political parties, in particular, need to inculcate in their respective supporters the need to behave and act in a responsible, decent and respectful manner. To do otherwise would be most unpatriotic and irresponsible on the part of political parties.
Free and fair elections, while they are not the only pillar of a democracy, are a major pillar and therefore every effort should be made to sustain them.
As Guyanese we must never forget that the struggle for Universal Adult Suffrage (one man one vote) was an epic one led by Dr. Cheddi Jagan and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). The struggle began in the late 1940s and victory was achieved in 1953. Up to 1964 elections were free and fair.
However, in 1968 a tragic era of blatantly rigged elections began. This continued at the 1973, 1980 and 1985 elections. There was also a bogus referendum in 1978 to usher in the new constitution.
Another epic struggle had to be waged by Dr. Jagan and the PPP to restore free and fair elections. This struggle was joined by other parties in the latter part. And so in 1992 the first free and fair election was held on October 5, 1992 ending the PPP’s record-breaking 28 years in opposition.
But that achievement was not an easy one as those entrenched in power sought to make desperate last-minute attempts to stall electoral reforms. One of the crucial reforms was counting the ballots at the place of poll. However, the President, Desmond Hoyte, stoutly resisted its implementation describing it as a “logistical nightmare.”
Fortunately, President Jimmy Carter was able to get him to agree to this reform. And so eventually because of local and international pressure the first free and fair election was held in 28 years.
All Guyanese must cherish this hard-won democratic right and vow never to have our beloved country return to the dark days of rigged elections, as thousand of sons and daughters have made tremendous sacrifices to have free and fair elections.