Over the past few days the spotlight has been centred on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as the electoral body has found itself mired in allegations of high-level corruption. At present, the public image of the organisation, whether justified or not, is taking a severe beating and it seems as if its Chairman, Commissioners and Chief Election Officer are not interested in doing any damage control, that is if anything at all could be done, at this time.
This newspaper reported a few days back that State auditors, earlier this month, launched a major probe after it was reportedly noticed that there were some discrepancies in relation to the purchase of 50 VHF communication radios by GECOM for close to G$100 million, prior to the May 2015 General and Regional Elections. The contract was handed to a Water Street, Georgetown businessman. As expected, serious questions were raised regarding the entire transaction, especially as it relates to the huge cost for these radio sets.
According to reports, even though the radio sets were purchased for use during the 2015 General and Regional Elections, particularly in the outlying regions of Guyana, they were never put into use after it was discovered that many of them were faulty.
Media reports later surfaced that some of the equipment purchased were obsolete and were not covered by warranty. As a matter of fact, sections of the Guyanese media reported that the Australian-based manufacturer, Barrett Communications, through its European office, distanced itself from the purchase.
From reports gathered, the company made it clear that it had ceased to manufacture the equipment more than five years ago. These are all very startling revelations and if found to be true, would no doubt raise serious questions about the entire procurement methods adopted by GECOM.
In addition to this most recent case, there were several other cases where concerns were raised regarding the methods employed by GECOM in procuring goods and services. In fact, at a press conference recently, one Commissioner bluntly told the media that he believes corruption at the electoral body is deep-rooted, with key players at many levels of the organisation.
If we are to go by what some Commissioners are saying, at least in the press, there are serious problems plaguing the organisation at the moment which should be addressed forthwith, not only as it relates to transparency and accountability of public funds, but the overall management and delivery of credible elections.
Perhaps the time has come for all stakeholders to seriously commence talks regarding reforming the organisation, meaning its entire operational structure, starting with the manner in which the Chairman and Commissioners are appointed and the way the secretariat functions.
It is clear that a major stakeholder, the parliamentary Opposition, has lost confidence in the current Chairman and CEO of the organisation. Some have expressed the view that the Commission is expending a tremendous amount of time and resources in attempting to dismiss and/or delay the hearing and determination of the 2015 Elections Petition, because it will expose the electoral machinery and system administered and managed by GECOM to public scrutiny.
With respect to the G$100 million purchase of VHF communication equipment, it would be premature to make any definitive pronouncement on the matter considering the fact that an audit is in progress.
That said, while we await the findings of the audit, it is hoped that GECOM would learn its lesson from this entire episode and take the necessary steps to ensure that it is never caught up in this mess again.
As stated by the Opposition Leader, as an independent constitutional body, GECOM enjoys financial, functional and operational autonomy and like every agency which is financed with public funds must account in a transparent manner for the expenditure of these funds.
The bottom line is that GECOM certainly cannot afford to be caught up in such scandals. Because of the nature of the work it does due to its constitutional mandate, GECOM must always strive to build public trust; its officers must be seen as credible and working on behalf of the nation in every respect. Every stakeholder in the country must have confidence in the work the electoral body is doing.
