IN a constitutional democracy, elections provide an opportunity to ascertain the popular will with regard to the governance of the country and in order for this to be done one of the key components is a credible voter’s list. This has been the position of President David Granger ever since his administration faced the prospect of returning to the polls earlier than is constitutionally due, owing to the passage of a no- confidence motion.

President Granger has stressed ad nauseam the need for credible elections to be held within the shortest possible time and his stated route towards this is for a cleansing of the voters’ list that expired on April 29, 2019. In one of his earlier addresses to the nation, the Guyanese leader said thusly: “It is essential that we hold fair, free and credible elections. We cannot proceed on the current list of voters. It is outdated and corrupted. It may hold as many as 200,000 incorrect entries. What’s more, those who have reached the age of 18 years since the last election are not on it.”

According to the President, the Constitution entitles all citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote, and he stressed that this is a democratic imperative that house-to-house registration be completed swiftly “so we can have an election at the earliest opportunity.”
In the face of demands by the opposition for the President to name a date for elections, he would later state that he cannot make a proclamation of an election date unless properly informed by GECOM.

President Granger said a date for elections would be named once GECOM indicates that it is in a state of readiness to do so. “…As soon as the Chairman of GECOM advises me that they are ready for elections, I will make a proclamation.” The President had also warned against rushing the process. “I don’t want a situation like we had in Nigeria, in which 2 o’clock in the morning the elections commission calls up the government and says elections can’t be held,” he said.

Election is the act of choosing an individual usually for holding public office through the free will of the people in a representative democracy. The USAID has said on its website that more than half of the world’s population live under autocratic or partly free governments, denied full civil liberties and unable to freely participate in political life. According to the body, a country cannot be truly democratic until its citizens have the opportunity to choose their representatives through elections that are free and fair.

It is against this background that we believe that the call for a fresh round of voter registration before any elections is a most reasonable request by the government. This exercise will certainly guarantee eligible young voters a chance to cast their ballots at future elections as a step in the right direction. We have heard the comments from both sides of the political divide on this matter and barring any unforeseen setbacks, this exercise should be embraced by all, regardless of where you stand on the current political situation. House-to-house registration will also ensure that deceased persons and those who have migrated are removed from the voters’ list and, most importantly, it provides some level of comfort to political parties and electors that the list is ‘clean’ and is not compromised.

The right to vote was fought for through blood, sweat and tears. It is a right that ought not to be taken for granted or ignored. It is a right that allows every eligible citizen the opportunity to vest privilege into a person and group he/she thinks can best represent and articulate his/her interest. It is a right that carries tremendous power, through which the voter can hire a representative, fire that representative and exercise the responsibility in ensuring that representative accounts for the management of citizens’ affairs and the nation’s resources. Voting, therefore, is a sacred duty and must be cherished.

Man lives in a political association. By this, it means decisions affecting one’s life have political implications from the womb to the tomb. During one’s lifetime, political decisions will inform the making of laws, conceptualisation and execution of policies and programmes, which will impact on quality of life, inclusive of whether there is respect for fundamental rights and freedoms.

These include the right to freedom of association, freedom of speech and sharing of ideas and information, healthcare, education, ownership of property, the right to a safe and secure environment, work (jobs/economic opportunities), and protection from discrimination. Political decisions inform quality and equitable infrastructural development and resource management, inclusive of the environment.

Where government in our country is representational, when a citizen exercises the right to vote by casting a ballot, it becomes a corresponding right to question and propose ideas to elected officials since they are acting on your behalf. This is one of the basic elements in the thrust towards realising good governance. Good governance requires that citizens stay engaged throughout the process and elected officials responding to the desires of the community within the confines of the law.

When a voter is denied the right to vote, it is tantamount to relinquishing an important act in determining who ought to be the leaders in the country. More so, the denial of someone to discharge this sacred duty bears the consequences of having to live under conditions and in circumstances not befitting of your desire.

A vote also places persons of choice in leadership positions to make and administer laws that can bring about economic opportunities, bring about equality, improve infrastructure, security and the environment, and manage your country free of corruption. To vote is to have a voice and the right to demand thereafter that the voice be heard and elected leaders act in accordance with the laws of the community and the desires of the people. Voting is a sacred duty and all eligible voters must be given the chance to exercise it.