The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has its work cut out, as it now embarks on a process of reformation. As excited as the public may be at the termination of the contracts of the infamous trio, it must neither become complacent or distracted.

Many believe that GECOM’s nightmare was over Thursday with the exit of the alleged riggers, but it is not. GECOM must now face the challenge of fixing its house through a series of reforms and bold declarations.

Firstly, at the outset, the reforms have to see GECOM completing the cleaning exercise that it started within its Secretariat and regionally. The Commissioners must now look carefully at those who had played a role in aiding and abetting the trio to commit the alleged fraudulent activities. These persons are responsible partially for the five-month fiasco and should be penalised. After all, GECOM’s junior staff know the names of all who declared outright their political allegiance, who broke the rules, and who departed dangerously from the protocols. If GECOM is going to clean, it is best to sweep in all the corners, nooks, and crannies.

Secondly, there must be the highest levels of transparency and openness when GECOM is ready to fill the vacancies or hire new staff. Of concern here, apart from the qualifications, the persons must be technically competent and impartial. This criterion will be critical if GECOM wants to ward off accusations of its officers being politically biased and one-sided. Nevertheless, GECOM needs to fill five posts and doesn’t have the luxury and time to do so at its convenience.

Reasonably, what happened with those officers must never be allowed again. Their partisan, undemocratic, and unprofessional actions within GECOM placed Guyana at risk of entering the league of pariah states.

Thirdly, over the weeks to come, GECOM would have to turn its attention to the issue of electoral reforms. Before any elections, there must be a strengthening of the systems and legal framework within its bureaucracy. And, the whole information architecture at GECOM must undergo a positive change to meet its communications modus operandi. It needs revamping to meet the new needs of the organisation. Similarly, the whole image of GECOM needs to be changed to create a paradigm shift in the minds of Guyanese following the 2020 elections. The public has to know and feel that things are happening at the organisation. This communications strategy or public relations strategy must inspire much greater public confidence in the reforms.

And finally, once GECOM gets going on the reforms, Local Government Elections can be set for this year. But the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharmalall, made it clear that he will not have an election with irregularities and electoral problems. These things have to be settled before these elections, this time around.
He said that transparency, accountability, and good governance must be the hallmarks of any local government election. As far as he can see, GECOM still has issues to work out.

Besides that, GECOM must look at the printing of ballot papers abroad. It will have to train hundreds of polling day staff. It must devise a strategic plan to establish and run polling places with all COVID-19 regulations and guidelines. The current list for the election expired in January 2021 and GECOM must decide how it will have the local government polls and with what list. This decision is critical because of the timeline for the election.

GECOM cannot falter or allow its attitude of laziness and bureaucratic inertia to step in. GECOM must focus on the various tasks of implementing these reforms and holding the local government elections now that the debris is gone from its body and the way is much clearer now. The world is watching. This time there would not be any excuses if there is a repeat of the fiasco last year. A long walk lies ahead as the clock ticks.