No compromise on the law
The Government’s Parliamentary Committee speak with the media following their meeting with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Present from left to right in the photo are: Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson; Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma; Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley; Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes; People’s National Congress /Reform (PNC/R) Chair and Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence and PNC/R were General Secretary and Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally (DPI photo)
The Government’s Parliamentary Committee speak with the media following their meeting with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Present from left to right in the photo are: Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson; Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma; Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley; Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes; People’s National Congress /Reform (PNC/R) Chair and Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence and PNC/R were General Secretary and Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally (DPI photo)

…GECOM reiterates no timeline set
…insists data from house-to-house registration will be used in the coming elections

THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has assured that it will not in any way shorten the processes laid out in the law for the holding of elections but will assess how its administrative processes can be sped up to facilitate credible elections within the shortest possible time.

Added to this, GECOM has assured that the data from the recent house-to-house registration exercise will be used in the coming elections and that additional funding to facilitate its new timeline, when approved, will come from the government.

This and more were relayed by People’s National Congress /Reform (PNC/R) Chairman and Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence, on Friday, after a meeting between the Commission and several ministers of coalition government.
The ministers who attended are part of the government’s Parliamentary Committee and came seeking clarification on the current efforts of the Commission as well as to present their case for “free, fair and credible elections”.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and representative of the National Front Alliance (NFA), Junior Minister of Social Protection, Keith Scott head into meeting with the Commission (Samuel Maughn photo)

Also representing the PNC/R were General Secretary and Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams. Representing the Alliance For Change (AFC) were Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes. Present too were representative of the Guyana Action Party (GAP), Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Representative of the National Front Alliance (NFA), Junior Minister of Social Protection, Keith Scott; Representative of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley and representative of the Justice For All (JFA), Junior Minister of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma.

“Today we were assured by the Chair and Commissioners that no timeline has [been] set and that they are working to see whether they will be able to hold election this year given the timetable which we have and the statutory requirements which they will ensure that they abide by,” Lawrence stated.

“They did indicate that they will not, in any way, be shortening any process as laid out in the statute but that they are looking at Administrative aspect to see how they can work with that in terms of the deadlines and timelines.”

There are approximately 35 statutory guidelines that the Elections Commission must abide by as outlined in the Representation of the People Act.
According to Section 9 of the Representation of the People Act, the notice of the date for submission of the list of Candidates [Nominations Day] cannot be done later than 32 days before Elections.

Added to this, the act states that candidates must be informed of defects in the list of candidates not later than 30 days before the election, and by the 29th day before the election is held, corrections must be submitted.

Those are just three of the 35 statutory guidelines established under the act.

“Apart from that, we have been assured that the information from the house-to-house registration process will be used in the up-coming general and regional elections. We also asked whether they had enough finances and other resources at their disposal given the time factor that is now placed upon them and they have assured us that they’re presently looking at that given the changes that they are requesting of their many service providers— of course the cost will go up,” Lawrence said.

The media was informed that, while the Commission has not yet stated the figure needed, she is certain that they will communicate same with the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan and President David Granger at a near date. Lawrence said that the President regards elections as a very crucial process towards democracy in Guyana and will therefore ensure that all in the government’s power is done to assist the Commission to facilitate the same.

A CREDIBLE LIST

Just last Tuesday, the Commission met with Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo and his team where a series of shortened timelines for activities to facilitate elections by November were proposed.

Although the sentiments have been in the public, prior to his submission to the Commission the GECOM Secretariat, on September 6, had made a proposal that credible elections can be facilitated by March 2020.

The proposal was made given the list of activities required to facilitate a credible process which include both statutory and administrative activities.

Meanwhile, this proposal did not sit well with the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/Civic) which is not in favor of aspects such as the merging of the house-to-house registration data with the existing National Register of Registrants (NRR).

Over 340,000 persons had already been registered when the exercise came to a halt on Saturday, August 31, 2019 — ordered by GECOM Chair, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh — as compromise to allow elections within the shortest possible time.

The Parliamentary Committee meets with GECOM (Samuel Maughn photo)

However, the reports on Friday have shut down the calls to squash the house-to-house registration data as the Commission assured that the information will be used.

This is even as the government, through the Attorney General’s Chambers, is moving to the courts to ask for a stay GECOM’s decision for a merger as several complications could arise in contrast with the Law.

The PNC/R Chair said that while a stay has not yet been granted, the Commission assured the visiting Committee that it would be complying with the Law.

Overall, the Committee is pleased that the Parliamentary Committee was able to put forward its case for credible elections which come from a credible list; one which includes the names of all Guyanese eligible to vote.

“…as we have always posited, these elections must come out of a credible List and we would like to have credible elections,” Lawrence told the media.

“We’ve also pressed upon GECOM to ensure that during that Claims period that they take into consideration the number of persons who are still to be registered.”

She stated that the coalition has noted the Opposition Leader, for many months now, has been “trying to set the time table for GECOM” but he must accept that the independent body must do its work.

Regarding this Party’s accusation that the coalition is working to delay elections, she stated: “It’s just another talk by the Leader of the Opposition. We have shown throughout the process from December 31, 2019 to today that we have complied with the Law; that we have worked with all the agencies which have matters pertaining to us having a credible General and Regional Elections; we have abided by the ruling of the court and we will continue to do so.”

The PNC/R Chair stated that the coalition has faith in GECOM’s leadership and will continue to work with the Commission in ways that are necessary.

And, whenever the date is decided for credible elections in Guyana, Lawrence stated that the coalition will be ready.

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