…now wants them postponed
The Alliance For Change (AFC) has made the decision to bow out of contesting the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE), a decision the party supposedly arrived at due to its concerns over the list of electors.
On Sunday, the party said that the National Executive Committee (NEC) made this decision after much debate. It added the caveat that it would not contest unless there are changes to the list of electors.
The party claimed that the list of electors is ‘bloated’, an often-repeated claim of its coalition partner, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). The party also echoed concerns of its partner, which is yet to confirm if it will participate in LGE, that the list contains the names of Guyanese who migrated.
According to the Constitution of Guyana and previous court cases, however, Guyanese who have migrated cannot be removed from the list of electors since residency of Guyanese citizens is not a requirement to vote.
This was demonstrated since 2019, when Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George ruled that the removal of the names of persons from the list of registrants, who were not resident in Guyana and could not participate in the House-to-House Registration exercise, would be unconstitutional. Her decision was subsequently upheld in the Court of Appeal.
The requirements for a person to vote, as set out in Articles 59 and 159 of the Constitution, are that that person must be 18 years or older, and must be a Guyanese citizen or a Commonwealth citizen resident and domiciled in Guyana.
Postponing
The AFC also said in their statement that the electoral system is not perfect and that they were not willing to “perpetuate a deception”. They further said that they would support postponing LGE until their definition of a “clean” voters’ list is arrived at.
“The AFC has already called on the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) to produce a credible voters’ list by conducting a certifiable house-to-house verification and registration process. Accordingly, we would go as far as supporting the postponement of the LGE as was done in 1992 to present a “clean” voters’ list to the electorate,” the party said.
“We have also indicated our acceptance of using biometrics and the necessary electronic equipment to enhance our voting experience and reduce the propensity for impersonation. However, as warned, we will not participate in the upcoming Local Government Elections if these changes are not made to bring legitimacy to our electoral system.”
AFC’s pull-out from contesting LGE comes at a time when the smaller party is already receiving diminished returns whenever it goes to the polls. Such was the case in 2018, when the party, then part of the APNU/AFC coalition Government, was forced to contest LGE on its own. It ended up securing just four per cent of the total votes cast.
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has already designated December 12, 2022, as nomination day for the upcoming LGE, which are set to be held next year March. On nomination day, parties make their way to a designated location, where their representatives are usually required to submit their list of candidates to the Chief Election Officer, as well as sign on to the required documents, such as a code of conduct, to contest the elections. These representatives are usually accompanied by a large retinue of their supporters, dressed in party colours, although all the parties who submit symbols do not always make a grand entrance or even go at all.
Parties, voluntary groups and individuals are meanwhile required to submit their symbols in accordance with Section 48 (1) of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, Cap 28:03. The law requires that these symbols be submitted at least 21 days before nomination day.
“Political parties, voluntary groups and individuals in outlying Local Authority Areas (LAAs) may submit their symbol to the Registration Officer at the GECOM Registration Office in their area.”
“A list of candidates submitted by any political party, voluntary group or individual candidate on nomination day must be accompanied by the pre-approved symbol, as this is required for the publication of the list,” the notice said. Under Section 51 of the Local Authorities (Elections) Act, none can contest the election without submitting their symbol.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), has already signalled its readiness to contest the upcoming LGE. As far back as August, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who is the General Secretary of the PPP/C, had said that the party is in preparation mode for LGE. (G3)
