Dear Editor
THE elections commission agreed to send in its two computer experts to the National Registration Centre (NRC) to look into the crisis that has erupted following the rejection of fifty three thousand (53,000) ID numbers during trial printing of the voters list.
CARICOM computer experts Mike Griffith and Father Tim Curtis will be accompanied by commission members and will try to determine if these ID numbers relate to eligible voters and why the problem has surfaced. Fifty three thousand (53,000) numbers on the list represent 14 percent of the names on the list. The opposition PCD parties are already expressing concerns over this discrepancy, fearing that these names may be padding the list and is designed to facilitate fraud and a statement is to be issued by Chairman Dr Rudy Collins.

Twenty-seven years later, in 2019, the same opposition is preparing to contest Regional and General Elections with a padded list with over 20,000 registrants still to uplift their ID cards. Could we be heading down the disenfranchise road as in 1992? The opposition PCD led by Gail Teixeira was adamant that Ronald Jacobs, the then chief elections officer was incompetent and must resign. The Carter Center and the Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB) also played an integral role in Jacob’s exodus. Now, twenty-seven (27) years later, the ID Cards issue has resurfaced and the voters list is in contention again this time around. Madame Gail is singing a different song from 1992 Let’s get it on, Clairmont Lye and the EAB are too weak to fight and we hope the Carter Centre will change their 1992 theme song, we come to change things.

Regards
George Williams