Home Letters Objective leadership at GECOM asserts its role! approves the release of transparency...
Dear Editor,
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) must be willing to hold free and fair elections and win the hearts and confidence of all Guyanese. After the recent 2020 debacle, it is imperative that all GECOM staff members understand their individual and collective roles, thereby establishing a setting for the delivery of a true and committed, reflective position when this nation has to be engaged on electoral matters.
GECOM’s recent decision to release the 2020 elections documents in light of the APNU/AFC’s allegation of fraud and claim of having evidence to justify a varying result is a step in the right direction. Such decisions send the correct message to staff and other parties of interest that skullduggery will not be tolerated, while assuring public confidence in its processes.
Statements of Poll (SOPs) among the other relevant reconciliatory reports ought to be public documents, as the copies are legally required to be put up for display at the varying polling stations as evidence of the exercise of transparent procedures and to facilitate appropriate queries if there are visible errors.
The arising area of the query is why did the APNU/AFC Commissioners at the meeting of the Commission vehemently oppose the release of these documents. What is there to hide? The events that took place during and after the 2nd March 2020 National and Regional Elections must never be allowed to happen again.
The APNU/AFC has placed in writing that votes were cast on behalf of deceased persons, that the elections were tainted by multiple voting, and that votes were cast for persons who were overseas on voting day.
Further, the allegations have brought into question reputable state agencies such as the Immigration Department, Guyana Police Force, and the General Registrar’s Office. Hence, there must be a thorough investigation into these serious allegations, and culpable persons must be prosecuted.
The PNC remnants in the APNU/AFC are driving the seeming immunity to rig elections as a continuance to ‘backdoor’ power. The events that unfolded at elections are synonymous with those between 1968 and 1985. They reflect how the PNC was able to use and manipulate the “state machinery”, particularly the staff at the Election Commission, the army, the Police, along with known terrorist organisations to rig elections during the period.
The Electoral List has never been a major issue since 1992, when a new list was compiled under the watchful eyes of the Carter Center, and Mr Dennis King from the Carter Center will forever be remembered. The PNC was never able to justify its claims of how any fake voters were able to bypass polling agents of political parties, with Identification Card or passports. The subsequent development of the strengthening ‘folio mechanism’, which allows the photo comparison of the voter, along with continuous registration and political parties functioning and paid scrutineers are all systems in place to give transparency and accountability at elections.
Guyanese must be fully cognisant of the fact that the APNU/AFC and the three PNC commissioners were quick to say that the 2020 elections were free and fair. They made several attempts to swear in David Granger as the President based on concoctions that the recount exercise exposed. However, according to the true results, the PPP/C was finally declared the inevitable winner.
Contextually, the Voters List must not be questioned. Voter turnout in 2015 was 71.36% when the APNU/AFC were declared winners; compared to a turnout of 70.24%. in 2020. In 2015, when the APNU/AFC won, there were no accusations about a bloated List. And the same List was used for two Local Government Elections and the Elections in 2020, which they all initially praised.
The Guyana Elections Commission must continue to implement positive and transparent mechanisms to win the trust and confidence of the nation.
Sincerely,
Neil Kumar
