— says its constitutional right should not be sacrificed

ALLIANCE For Change (AFC) youth arm, Youths for Change (YFC), on Wednesday rejected the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) call to fast-track the electoral process. YFC’s Secretary Kenny Valladares said it is insulting that the parliamentary opposition, the PPP, would choose to sacrifice the constitutional right of young people to vote.

The December 21 vote of no-confidence against the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration, triggered the need for elections to be held within 90 days or such longer period as agreed by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly. Even as the validity of the vote is being challenged, the Guyana Elections Commission has been assessing its state of readiness to facilitate a free and fair election.

Based on a report submitted by GECOM’s Secretariat to the Commission’s Operations Sub-Committee, elections cannot be held in March or April. It was explained that the claims period would require between 28 to 21 days, while the objection period could take up to seven days. However, the PPP-appointed commissioners are demanding that elections be held on March 19.

Valladares said the position of the PPP-appointed commissioners cannot be supported, as he addressed reporters at AFC headquarters on Wednesday.
“We find their willingness to forego the cleansing of the official list of electors hypocritical and a threat to the credibility of the results forthcoming from an elections with an unsanitised list, as it would not satisfy the criteria of “fair.” In fact, it would be completely unfair!” Valladares said.

He said it would be important for GECOM to conduct house-to-house registration to ensure the Official List of Electors is not bloated with deceased persons and that all eligible persons are enlisted.

“Young people are more than 50 per cent of the electorate; young people are the hands and feet of the campaigns and young people are the touted case and rallying call to fight for but the political opposition doesn’t see it important that young people are afforded the right to vote at the very elections being carried in their name with their sweat,” he contended.

MUST BE UPHELD
Valladares said YFC would like to see the constitution upheld and the autonomy of GECOM respected. YFC, he said, is calling on the PPP to “desist from their bully and intimidation tactics in letting the body do its work.” It is also advocating for other youth organisations, including the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO), to demand that their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote and participate in the political process is respected.

“We view Jagdeo’s position as a risk to the fracture of democracy, as it would make spectators of eligible young voters in the upcoming elections,” Valladares opined.

AFC General-Secretary Marlon Williams said GECOM should not be forced to deny young eligible Guyanese their right to vote, as he referenced those who have recently acquired eligibility. Williams rejected the March 19 date proposed by the PPP-appointed GECOM commissioners, but said whenever elections are called the APNU+AFC coalition would be ready to contest the elections.

“It is only reasonable to accept that they cannot be ready by the end of March. They have suggested that. Whenever GECOM indicates that they are ready, the Alliance For Change and its coalition partners will be eagerly ready to go to these polls,” he told reporters.
According to him, the events of December 21, 2018 have “truly galvanised supporters of the coalition” in all regions of Guyana.

IMPARTIALITY
However, Williams said that it is important that GECOM commissioners display a high level of impartiality when conducting the business of the commission, and in this case, treating with GECOM’s readiness for elections.

“It is very important that the commissioners of GECOM operate in a bipartisan way to ensure that Guyana gets a period where elections can be held free and fair,” he said.
Weighing in on the matter, Women for Change (WFC) Cynthia Rutherford emphasised that the election body must be allowed to do its work without interference. “We would prefer that GECOM cleanses [the list], if it is through continuous registration or house-to-house that is not for us to decide, that is for GECOM to decide, because they are an autonomous body… but we would definitely like to see all eligible young persons added to the list and given an opportunity to participate,” Rutherford said.

Ahead of the pending elections, Rutherford said WFC stands in full support of its parent body – AFC, and the APNU+AFC coalition government. Turning her attention to the recent decision of the Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire to uphold the ruling of the Speaker Dr. Barton Scotland, that the motion was carried, the WFC representative endorsed the government’s move to appeal the case at the Court of Appeal, and if necessary the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

“We respect the learned CJ’s ruling on the legal issues surrounding said vote in the National Assembly. However, our democracy is underscored by the doctrine of the separation of powers and it is in this context that we lend our full support to the government to exhaust the legal options available right up to the CCJ,” she said.

Rutherford said contrary to the position of the opposition, WFC has full confidence in the APNU+AFC government.