Proposed electoral reform: Govt wants feedback from Opposition, GECOM – Teixeira

…wide consultations before reforms taken to Parliament – AG

While the Government has draft electoral reform laws and wants to take them to Parliament at the earliest possible opportunity, it also wants to have the widest possible consultation on the changes that would be made to the Representation of the People’s Act.
These consultations include with the various political parties. In fact, Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Gail Teixeira recently revealed that copies of the draft amendments were sent to the main parliamentary Opposition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC).
Particularly, Teixeira noted, Government is hoping for feedback from representatives of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), former President David Granger, and incumbent Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon.
“Of course, GECOM itself has the opportunity to submit its recommendations as well, if it so wishes as a unit in itself, or individuals in the Commission…I’ve sent to Mr Granger, I’ve sent to Mr Harmon, I’ve sent to Mrs Lawrence…I have sent to the AFC as a distinct [party]. I’ve tried to ensure that no one would say from that grouping that they weren’t met. I wanted to recognise each in their own right,” Teixeira explained.
According to Teixeira, the consultation will be held over a six-week period, allowing stakeholders and the public to make comments and give suggestions via email or posting on the Ministry’s social media page.
She also urged persons to view the proposed amendments in the context of avoiding a recurrence of the events which followed the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.
“We want people to look at those and see what they feel, and ask themselves, ‘Are the recommendations sufficient? Are there areas in terms of the process of elections from registration through to proclamation?’
“Have we covered all the corners in terms of what may be ambiguities or opportunities for people to do things that would harm or undermine the rights of the Guyanese people to vote and elect the representatives of their choice?’ So, we are trying to prevent what happened in 2020 (from) happening again,” the Minister reiterated.

Get acquainted
During a special edition of his programme ‘Issues in the News”, Attorney General Anil Nandlall encouraged all Guyanese to acquaint themselves with the reforms. He noted that Government wants to consult on the reforms as widely as possible before they are brought to Parliament.
He also urged the persons they consult with to put forward suggestions and proposed amendments of their own if they feel the need to, noting that his party does not have a “monopoly” on knowledge.
“The (amendments) are all intended to strengthen the democratic process. They are all intended to make the process transparent. They are all intended to make the machine accountable. So, discretion, as I said, is being eliminated or reduced. Things that are blurred or ambiguous are clarified… these amendments are not intended or designed to give any political party an electoral advantage,” Nandlall said.
One issue the reforms deal with is the Chief Election Officer’s (CEO’s) issuance of manuals to GECOM staff. In theory, the manuals are issued to supplement and clarify existing laws. In practice, the CEO would often issue manuals that run counter to the law.
According to Nandlall, the reforms would ensure greater scrutiny of the practice. Additionally, the reforms will address the issue of polling station locations. Indeed, during the 2020 General and Regional Elections, GECOM caught flak for their choice of polling station locations, which in some cases were inaccessible or difficult to find. In Eccles, East Bank Demerara, there was one case of GECOM putting a polling place in a muddy pasture that was used for grazing cows.
“We have had the situation where the CEO determines by himself almost where polling stations are going to be located. And there are no clear criteria that guide the exercise of that discretion of the number of polling stations in one locality or electoral division, nor is there consideration of how many people are likely to vote there. Those issues have been clarified.”
Proposed changes to the Representation of the People Act (RoPA) were released to the public last week – just over a year after the unprecedented five-month-long election last year, which was marred with instances of fraud and other electoral offences.
Among the changes in the proposed reforms are stiffened penalties. For instance, if the CEO posts false statements of poll on the website, he/she has committed an offence and can be fined $10 million as well as face life imprisonment. In fact, if the CEO fails altogether to make the copies available electronically via the GECOM’s website, he can be charged.
Another responsibility of the CEO is to prepare a final report on the nationwide votes which are to be submitted to the Elections Commission to declare the winner of the elections. If he fails to do this within the established timeframe, or if he falsifies any of the data, he can also be jailed for life and fined as much as $10 million. (G3)