Dear Editor,
I read with interest an article by Mr Ralph Ramkarran on Election Legislation Reform. While most of what he has suggested makes sense, the one proposal on including Guyanese resident overseas on the voters’ list is questionable.
It can open a lot of room for corrupt practices if not properly managed, and our experience shows that most things are not appropriately and/or adequately managed in Guyana.
There is one practice that begs attention. We duplicate the way our Parliament is constituted in the choosing of members of boards and other bodies, such as the Elections Commission, the ERC, etc. It is not difficult to notice the partisanship and divisiveness that infest the functioning of these institutions.
Therefore, it seems more prudent to choose members who are more technically equipped on the various subject matters and who are not closely politically affiliated or perceived to be politically affiliated to any of the two major political parties. Proposals for membership to these institutions can come from any source, but these criteria must be met.
Parliament can uitilise the services of its various sectoral and other committees to examine the list of candidates and approve the final list of members.
Sincerely,
A Adler
