LEADER of the Opposition (LoO) Aubrey Norton on Tuesday agreed to electoral reform in a change of position from previous sentiments.
Norton, who is also leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and Chairman of the APNU (A Partnership for National Unity), voiced his support during his weekly virtual press conference.

“APNU+AFC is prepared to discuss and support constitutional and statutory amendments,” Norton said.
He went on to outline several times over the years when amendments have taken place to the election process.

“These reforms have been of several types, constitutional, statutory, administrative, operational and technological. Guyana has reached another critical juncture for electoral reforms,” Norton said.
Norton’s support for electoral reforms comes days after the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) issued a statement affirming that it cannot act contrary to the legal provisions set out in the National Registration Act (NRA).

GECOM, in a press release, said it had taken note of the concerns and public opinions expressed relating to the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE). However, the elections body maintained that the NRA dictates the procedures for the registration of eligible persons, along with the removal of persons from the National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB).

With that, they added that it was not that the concerns of the stakeholders were being ignored, but that the Commission had to act within the framework of the laws.
Norton has criticised the list of electors, calling for changes in contravention of a ruling of the High Court. The government had described his criticism as baseless. The Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George, in 2019 solidified that only by way of the enactments within the legislation can persons’ names be removed from the NRRDB.

To this end, it was noted by GECOM that the legislation provides for the removal of names from the NRRDB only through the legal methodology, which, it said, includes the receipt of monthly reports from the General Register’s Office, or through a “Claims and Objections” process.

GECOM is currently preparing to hold Local Government Elections (LGEs), and, as such, the Commission is holding a Claims and Objection period, whereby persons can highlight any concerns or discrepancies on the OLE for the purpose of addressing them.

The Claims and Objection period began on August 22, and concludes on September 15, while LGEs could possibly be held within a few months.
The Claims and Objection exercise allows for eligible persons to make a claim to be included on the Official List of Electors (OLE) and also provides opportunities for persons who are already registered to check the accuracy of their registration records in the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE).

Additionally, these persons can apply for changes or corrections on, or before September 11, 2022, if necessary.
Further, GECOM urged members of the public to scrutinise the Preliminary List of Electors and object to the inclusion of names of persons that they suspect may not be eligible for inclusion, on or before September 15.