No further hindrances must be accommodated

Dear Editor,
A news article on February 8, 2022, captioned “PNC/R plans to meet with GECOM over voters’ list concerns and LGE”, touts an anticipated meeting between the national elections authority and senior party representatives. It would be an interesting position, and tone, of any such meeting held between the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) architects.
From the onset, questions arise regarding the likelihood of a lack of objectivity by representatives of the PNCR at the suggested requested meeting. In context, GECOM personnel must exercise much caution given the established framework. One would recall what the newly elected Leader of the PNCR, Aubrey Norton and other party executives levelled against the current Chairwoman of GECOM and the newly appointed CEO Mr Vishnu Persaud. Is it a matter of PNC convenience that Norton now wants to dialogue? They were very vocal in not recognising the Chairperson of GECOM and the duly appointed Chief Executive Officer.
It is easy to recognise the follow-up of Norton’s announcement and focus on approaches to having a new voters’ list as a stymieing tactic to the overdue Local Government Elections (LGE). It comes as the predicted next steps to the recently prepared agenda-setting and framing press statement by the APNU/AFC Commissioners appointed to GECOM. They advocated the disbanding of the current Register of Registrants (RoR), and even went further in suggesting that the GECOM cannot contribute to strengthening the enforceability of the Representation of the People Act (RoPA) Cap 1:03 as the applicable legislation.
I recently pointed out that the narratives are nothing but another designed attempt targeting backdoor manipulation of the Commission’s balance. That there is a clear intent to strategically defy and malign the High Court’s ruling on the treatment of the RoR is not an understatement. Further, given the timing of the proposed dialogue, if entertained, for obvious reasons must be viewed with extreme caution, given the high level of criticism and bullish approach that Aubrey Norton previously attempted to convey.
Editor, the view of the majority of Guyanese citizens is that GECOM should no longer waste valuable time on these fantasies and political gamesmanship being perpetuated by the PNC cohorts for want of cheap publicity. Rather, the time is now for the organisation to get down to the serious task of filling the still available vacant positions that are necessary to conduct the LGE. There are no problems with funds as the PPP/C Government has ensured more than $4 billion in the 2022 budgetary allocations at the disposal of GECOM as a means to this end.
Importantly, the Commission needs to ensure its Secretariat is tooled, and also empowered with officials of high standing credibility at this critical time and going forward to gain the confidence of the nation. We can no longer entertain the re-hiring of some of the shortlisted candidates with known previous disruptive and unholy track records in their previous roles at the organisation.
Of note, it was corrupted GECOM officials who deliberately contributed to the issuance of varying directives to elections officials on the East Coast of Demerara in the 2020 elections, that provided a basis for falsification claims and these persons must be removed from the system. Consequently, the Commission and Chief Elections Officer must ensure the necessary and required exercise of due diligence examination of each key applicant before an appointment.
From a more candid standpoint, one cannot help but acknowledge the changing pitch in the notes of Mr Norton. Perhaps he has recognised that the PPP/C nor GECOM would accept the bullish tantrums of the same old PNC. Maybe it is becoming more and more clear that our citizens and even APNU supporters would no longer accept activities that exemplified the old thievish traits before the 1992 restoration of democracy. it is therefore heartening to hear that Norton will recognise the PPP/C Government and his words, “only a successful election petition can determine that the PPP/C Government not legitimate.”
Indeed, given the abundance of evidence, it would be foolish to keep playing the same old tune to which most of the Guyanese people have refused to dance. The current status of affairs offers Aubrey Norton’s PNC an opportunity to help build a one Guyana. There is no doubt that the PPP/C is the genuinely elected Government and the present leadership of GECOM is also legal. Hence, it is most appropriate that all and sundry must recognise them. The way forward in this country is that we must recognise each other and work together for a better Guyana.
Nothing is wrong to put on the GECOM’s agenda, the preparation of a new voters list, but not at the expense of further delaying the LGE. There is a current legal procedure and GECOM must produce an updated voters list to put all systems in place for the holding of LGE this year. The Opposition Shadow Local Government MP Ganesh Mahipal in his budget presentation, demanded that the PPP/C Government conduct the Local Government Elections as soon as possible and this is also plausible.
With the CEO in place, a plan for the holding of the LGE is the priority, and filling the vacancies filled must be done quickly to ensure fair and transparent elections earliest. No further hindrances must be accommodated.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar