AFC Column - AFC PARTICIPATES IN GECOM MEETING “WITHOUT PREJUDICE”

AFC Column – AFC PARTICIPATES IN GECOM MEETING “WITHOUT PREJUDICE”

Jul 13, 2008 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

Despite the ongoing strained relationship between the Alliance For Change and GECOM surrounding the Region 10 seat and the scrutineers’ money, the AFC decided to participate in a meeting called by the GECOM Chairman to update parliamentary parties on what transpired during the House to House Registration exercise.

We attended “without prejudice” to reserve our right to denounce the entire exercise as flawed because of our inability to participate in the scrutiny of the exercise. The AFC took a conscious decision to observe rather than participate. Below is a summary of what transpired. This is meant to let the nation know that the exercise had limited success, and is now being challenged by the PPP/C. Was this money well spent? We don’t believe so.

REPORT
The meeting was held at GECOM Office on Tuesday July 08, 2008 at 13.00hrs.

Chaired by GECOM Chairman Dr. Steve Surujbally, with Mr. Gocool Boodhoo and other officials present.
Parliamentary Political Parties present included the PPP/C, PNCR/1G, AFC and TUF.

Dr. Surujbally reported on the following: –

• The House to House Registration Exercise concluded on the 4th July, 2008 and that there would be no extension of time.

• That there were approximately 433,000 individuals who completed registration transactions between Jan 7th – July 4th 2008.

• These transactions were now subject to internal scrutiny, cross matching and a verification process to confirm their validation.

• The validated list would then become the New National List of Registrants.

• This New National List of Registrants would be the base document of reference for the beginning of the Continual Registration process.

• The Continual Registration Process was not expected to start before mid October 2008.

• During the recently concluded House to House Registration Exercise: –

 Approximately 36,000 individuals were recorded as not being in possession of Valid Birth Certificates, Deed Poll or Marriage Certificates in order to be registered.

 24,813 additional individuals had applied for Birth Certificates but were yet to receive them from the General Registrar’s Office, so that they could complete their Registration process.

 Another 1905 individuals refused to register or submit to be fingerprinted in order to complete the registration process.

The difficulty experienced by individuals to obtain Birth Certificates or access to Public Notaries, was highlighted by Dr. Surujbally. Although several meetings were held with Government officials and the General Registrar’s Office, no headway was made to alleviate this situation. He reiterated the need for Government to find ways to resolve this situation so these remaining individuals could be registered.

Further, there were hundreds of Birth Certificates that were being challenged by GECOM Officials because of inaccurate information.

Dr Surujbally undertook to provide Parliamentary Political Parties with a detailed list of all recorded unregistered individuals.

The PPP/C requested and received the support of the TUF for: –

1) GECOM to approve the use of the 2001 Green ID Card to be used as a valid source document for this registration process.

2) That the House to House Registration Exercise was separate from the electoral process.

3) That there ought not to be a delay in the Continual Registration Process.

The PNCR/1G objected to any use of the 2001 Green ID Card as a source document for the purpose of registration and supported GECOM’s request for the government to find a way of resolving any bottlenecks at the General Registrar’s Office. (The AFC supports this position)

GECOM Commissioners pointed out that from the inception a decision was taken not to make any reference to any previous process or source document as the basis for this current registration process. That a new National List of Registrants that has the confidence and approval of all stakeholders is of utmost importance as this would be the base document for preparing the National list of Electors for the purpose of holding Local Government Elections and all subsequent General and Regional Elections. As of now, the AFC is not convinced that we are anywhere near there.

THE LINDO CREEK MASSACRE
The government has quite mysteriously chosen not to take up the offer of having a world-renowned forensic team travel from the United Kingdom to conduct a proper forensic investigation as to what has happened at Lindo Creek. Instead it has chosen to invest in finding an “eyewitness” who saw everything and claims to have lived through the ordeal, and to have Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaican experts come instead.

Again this is money badly spent. We still maintain that this whole affair stinks to high heaven and some things are not being revealed. Why is the government paying for the Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaican teams, but refusing to do the same for the UK team?

Why if there is a reliable eyewitness haven’t charges been laid as was the case after the massacres in Lusignan and Bartica? There is an old saying that you can fool some of the people some of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. Who is the government hoping to fool with this charade, which is an insult to the relatives of the victims? They, and all Guyanese, deserve better.

At this stage no one is likely to accept the findings of any “carry on” team that initially couldn’t even find the location of the massacre. Guyana needs a government that is caring, decisive, and honourable.