…Alexander floats shortened time frame for house-to-house registration

THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is yet to reach consensus regarding an election date but Commissioner Vincent Alexander has submitted a request for a review and possible reduction of the proposed nine-month duration for house-to-house registration.

At the GECOM Secretariat press meeting last Friday, Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers had stated that house-to-house registration would take nine months to be completed.

However, coming out of the commission’s meeting on Wednesday, Alexander said that he believes that this time can be reduced. “I have requested, and still await from the commission, a review of their own proposition of house-to-house because I think the time could be compacted,” he said.

He added that his fellow commissioners are not yet to oppose this suggestion. Describing the afternoon’s meeting, Alexander said that there really was “nothing new to report” as old issues were once again rehashed by some commissioners.

“Commissioner Benn sought to make a presentation taking us back to this question of March 19 and based on that presentation a discussion evolved about timelines and whether the commissioner had given [Chief Elections Officer] Lowenfield the permission to be in election mode and things like that,” Alexander said. “There was really no consensus on any matter.”

This sentiment was shared by Commissioner Robeson Benn, who stated that GECOM is still at a “no-go position.”
At their last meeting on Tuesday, the commission stated that it would be seeking clarification from the Ministry of Finance on how funds will be appropriated for the holding of early General and Regional Elections.

The need comes as Attorney General Basil Williams recently pointed out that with Cabinet resigned, it may be impossible for the government to simply reallocate the $3B designated for fresh house-to-house registration to conduct new elections as suggested by the opposition. Proof that the division among the commission remains evident as Benn does not believe that guidance from the ministry was necessary as GECOM can shift the $3B funds from one budget to another, which he said would be “nothing new.” “As we’ve done before, when we had money for one thing and a priority matter came up, the money was vire,” Benn said. “In our case we are a statutory, separate agency which made those types of decisions before and could make them now.”

HOWEVER, ALEXANDER DISAGREES.
“This is a budget agency which has to operate within the context of the Fiscal and Financial Management Act,” Alexander said: “We will see what advice is given and any advice given certainly will have to refer the laws. We can exercise our minds on the matter but we start off from the standpoint of being given advice by the authoritative financial body in the country. It may have been done, but it may have been wrongly done, so I can’t take that as a basis for present action,” he said.

The commissioner stated that he is, nonetheless, examining the law in question and while he is not yet conclusive on the matter, the guidelines suggest that only 10 per cent of the money could be moved.

Benn also maintains that there were meetings since in December to effect preparations for elections, but now the commission is straying from a previously established consensus.

Alexander later told media operatives that such a conversation would first have to come to the commission on paper in the form of a proposal which would include the details of the elections preparation period before it is given the go-ahead.

He believes that whether or not the commission makes a decision, now or later and, regardless of the final decision, the matter will eventually end up in the lap of the political leaders. “I think we’re close to a referral,” he said.

FRESH REGISTRATION
Meanwhile, at an Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference on Wednesday, General-Secretary Marlon Williams affirmed the party’s support for fresh house-to-house registration. “We in the Alliance For Change are interested in seeing house-to-house registration however, we will respect the decision of GECOM once it gives a framework for the hosting of elections. We encourage GECOM, to as soonest, provide a position on that,” he said

Challenged by the media to state why the party did not raise objection with the current list at the Local Government Elections which remains valid until April 30, 2019, Williams added: “That was Local Government Elections, these are substantive elections; these are national elections; this is the election that will determine who governs this country. Are you suggesting that we go with a list that can be deemed compromised? These are national elections. We must ensure that we have a clean as possible elections.”

He stated that the party encourages the resumption of parliament to address these issues and eagerly awaits a “bi-partisan decision” from the commission.