— Minister Ally tells supporters

THE ruling coalition is ready for an election whenever the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) sees it fit, said Social Protection Minister and General Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Amna Ally.

As part of an effort to keep supporters confident, the minister, along with Director of Sport, Christopher Jones and other party leaders, conducted a walkabout in Constituency Eight before hosting a meeting at the St. Thomas Moore Primary School on Wednesday.

In an effort to allay fears, the minister and her colleagues urged supporters of the coalition to remain resolute and confident that everything will be sorted out.

The officials sought to bring clarity to a situation of uncertainty which was created after the passage of a no-confidence motion against the government on December 21, 2018, in the National Assembly.

Following the passage of the motion, it was mentioned that General and Regional Elections were due in 90 days.

Government, however, challenged the validity of the no-confidence vote in the High Court and subsequently appealed the matter after it was ruled that the vote was valid.
As the matter remains in the court, Minister Ally assured supporters that March 21, which sums up the 90 days, is not the last day for the government in office.

“We had challenges with the no-confidence vote but there are procedures which are taking place and we are awaiting the court’s decision,” said Minister Ally.
Although they are awaiting the decision, the minister said the government is ready to face an election tomorrow if need be.

“We are ready, but GECOM is in charge of the elections, not the government… but we have no apologies for wanting house-to-house registration,” said the minister.
GECOM had decided to conduct house-to-house registration and proposed that it could take up to six months, leaving time for an elections after or during November.

FLAWED LIST
Minister Ally contended that the Official List of Voters is flawed and house-to- house registration is necessary to sanitise the list.

She believes that it is necessary because of glaring flaws in the list; flaws which, she said, surfaced during the recent Local Government Elections.

Minister Ally accused the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) of mobilising people and registering them on a piece of land, not a house.

The minister believes that there were similar cases in many other areas, and as such, house-to-house registration would clean the list.

Jones also told supporters that house-to-house registration is the best way forward, especially with a glaring need to sanitise the list.

“We are confident that we will alleviate the fear… people get the impression that after tomorrow, March 22, is the beginning of the apocalypse,” he said, adding that government remains the government and there is no mistake about that.
He was optimistic that GECOM knows best and the government will find a way forward after the court makes its decision.

Jones said there is still the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to explore and there is no clause or point that says that after the motion is passed, a government resigns.
In light of that, he said the government will continue to run the country and maintain its developmental agenda going forward.