Dear Editor,
OBSERVERS of the APNU+AFC Coalition and Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton’s power-driven mantra are viewing a strategy characterised by fuel-filled vendetta and hatred that clouds his objective rationale, and increases conflict with the ideals of democratic leadership. There is perhaps a hopeful disquiet from previously prominent party strong men and women, against whom Norton seems to have spewed a continuous toxic blood feud, with a comparative ethnic-poisoned dislike he often displays for key personnel of the current PPP/C government membership. Meaningless to say the least is an understatement!

Equally supporting the reeling fragmentation under the misguided Norton is the categorically distressed Vincent Alexander, whose sour disposition has become most extraneous to the fairness required in today’s politics. Perhaps the link is based on their contextual focus which still resonates with PNC rigging overtures of the 70s and 80s which this cabal still wants to act out. It must be recalled that both men were never seen as top tier. They both were unceremoniously removed from tried senior positions within the People’s National Congress and perhaps, they still aspire to utilise the condemned methodology of old.

Notwithstanding the constitutional and other relevant legislative positions together with the related ruling of the courts, these men display a combined creature-like disposition, which undoubtedly targets the suppression of the positive efforts of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). There has been the unjustified condemnation, personal character assassination, and threats issued to Chairperson Justice (retired), Madam Claudette Singh; the advancement of frivolous petitions at the commission level, as well as the baseless criticism of the Register of Registrants (NRR) in an attempt to discredit. But these continuous outbursts of hot air will not work this time around.

It is important to note that it is GECOM’s authority to maintain the NRR and destroying the current NRR will disenfranchise thousands of citizens and violate the court’s ruling, because persons cannot be removed from the database unless a death certificate is provided to GECOM. Persons calling for the scrapping of the current National Register of Registrants(NRR) are doing so out of a lack of understanding, and or appreciation of the financial undertaking and vigorous sustainability efforts to secure and maintain this register, where every single person in the database are included using their Fingerprint Biometrics and their photograph.

Further, the database for the current NRR began in 2008 in compliance with the urgings of the PNC and is being compiled since. Today, it contains both Guyanese living in Guyana and overseas, since the registration process was complemented by several terms of continuous cycles of registration done over the past 14 years using GECOM’s Registration Centres across the country. The registration process begins with young persons at 14 years old and when these persons attain the age of 18 years, those names are moved over to update the lists of persons eligible to vote.

So, the database would today contain categories of citizens residing overseas or not at one fixed place in Guyana including loggers, miners and Amerindians that go hunting and overseas-based Guyanese, who would have all registered at their convenience in one of the continuous registration centres. Therefore, while we have approximately 750,000 persons living in Guyana, they are another 1,000,000 Guyanese living in foreign lands who would have also registered before or while visiting home over the past 14 years, which accounts for the approximately 650,000 registered on the NRR. Further, every month the General Registration Office provides GECOM with the confirmed list of persons who died, along with copies of their death certificates to support the removal of those names from the NRR.

It was Vincent Alexander who was the PNC’s lead commissioner at GECOM who silently looked over the APNU+AFC affairs, and who took quick action in 2015. This was even before the PPP/C took up their seats in Parliament to support hustled amendments for the affirmative resolution of the National Assembly concerning the Continuous Registration Bill to allow a period of Continuous Registration to give six months’ life to the List of Electors.

The APNU+AFC was quick to use the same List to hold Local Government Elections in 2016 and 2018. And the same list was used for the National and Regional Elections in 2020. Then, APNU+AFC, along with the GECOM commissioners and all the PNC members including Norton praised the List and declared that the 2020 elections were free and Fair. Guyanese are fully aware of the fact that APNU+AFC made several failed attempts to swear in David Granger as President.

Alexander cannot stand to speak of the GECOM chair having misconceived the nature of the body, which can go beyond interpreting and making decisions based on the law is a wish-washy argument. Alexander’s recent ‘motion’ is nothing but another failed attempt to postpone LGEs. Immediately after the 2020 National and Regional Elections, the PNC cabal, along with the ‘dead-wood’ AFC, lauded the running of the elections. However, after their failed attempt to “rig” the elections, Alexander and his colleagues are criticising Claudette Singh, while Norton is openly saying that the eminent Justice Singh is biased and cannot be trusted. Norton’s spineless calls for Justice Claudette Singh to resign will fall on deaf ears.

Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Minister Anil Nandlall SC. was recently very explicit that it is the responsibility of GECOM to hold free and fair elections; and GECOM has full responsibility to produce the Official List of Electors. GECOM recently successfully held a continuous registration process, and now the Claims and Objection Exercise is in progress. Chief Justice Roxane George has already ruled that it is unlawful and unconstitutional to remove persons’ names from the list who are registered unless they are disqualified on grounds laid down in law.
Norton and Alexander must be seen for either their hypocritical stand of convenience, or deliberate myopic positions. The LGEs are due and must be held as early as possible.

Yours sincerely,
Neil Kumar