Dear Editor,
I AM driven to comment on recent protests against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), and other threats of the use of protests by the political opposition which from all indications, are less valuable than the ‘used cardboards’ from which the placards are made.

Peaceful protests remain a universal approach for directing or jerking public attention to one’s opinion in an attempt to influence preferred changes where there are impacting consequences as a result of oversight, injustices, etc. However, when used to expose ignorance, or rather, the lack of relevant educational potency to the matter being protested, the relevance and sting of the intervention are defeated before it begins, and even the protesters themselves quickly come to realise that their efforts are a waste of time and undeserving of consideration.

It is of note that GECOM, following precedence, has taken the current approach of having the Revised List of Electors (RLEs) fully scrutinised by the public for 21 days.

After this process, GECOM will produce the Official List of Electors (OLEs) for the whole country. However, for the holding of the LGEs, GECOM will have to extract the Official List of Voters (OLV) from the countrywide OLE that is specific to persons residing in the various Local Authority Areas (LAAs).

The circumstances emphasise the point that only persons residing in the specific LAAs are allowed to elect leaders to the various constituencies and municipality councils, according to the defined boundaries.

The laws governing Local Government Elections refer to the Registered List of Voters. Hence, it is clear that after the Continuous Registration exercise, which was followed by the period of Claims and Objections, due process is being followed by GECOM as they now have the Revised List of Electors in the public domain to ensure a transparent approach for public scrutiny, and allow for further cleansing of the final lists.

The sequential steps are intended to allow for justified corrections in the cleansing process up to a cut-off date.

GECOM’s swift and rational response to the calls by the PNC protestors must be applauded. The response is certainly educational and lends testimony against the shallow and unfounded allegations perpetuated by the Opposition supporters who protested.

Notably, among others, they called for GECOM’s release of the OLV in preparation for the Local Government Elections (LGEs), which highlights a lack of understanding of the process. Simply put, for the update of the PNC strategic planners, GECOM has not yet reached that stage.

It leaves a clearer idea why former President David Granger moved to appoint James Patterson as GECOM Chairman, and also suggests a significant breakdown within the PNC camp with those who were instrumental in the party’s known manipulative approaches of the past.

The nation is witnessing demonstrated uncertainty in the PNC/APNU/AFC Camp, evidenced by the impending signal of a divorce based on the Cummingsburg Accord, and the noteworthy PNC’s recent failure to attend a scheduled clarification meeting with GECOM. It leaves one to rationalise the roles of those who bore such relationships with the now condemned and prosecuted staffers.

Guyanese are fully aware of the many dreams and allegations that Vincent Alexander purports to be immune to in his representation as a PNCR Commissioner at GECOM.

The dreamers fell asleep for five years–2015 to 2020–as they used the same list for two LGEs and National and Regional Elections, but have now reawakened.
Hence, GECOM must follow their “Work Plan” and hold LGEs promptly.

All the false comments about voter impersonation must come to light and be proven. The opposition must bring proof of these watershed allegations. It must also be noted that Alexander was present at the highly successful National Consultation of The National Registration (Amendment) Bill and he personally also contributed to the discussions.

It is time for our people to rise to the occasion and work together for a better Guyana. Bitterness must be replaced with better judgment and let us work together and be counted in the process as we build “One Guyana.”

The failure of the PNC, particularly in the now apparent defunct APNU, to be present at a meeting that they had requested with GECOM is a clear manifestation of the fact that they are not aware of the proper preparation for LG polls. They need to educate themselves on the process, stop thinking negatively and vanish the ‘naysayers’ among them.

Let us have the LGEs.

Yours truly,
Neil Kumar