‘Weed out politicos at GECOM; enact campaign financing laws’

Apr 27, 2023 News

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…elections COI Report recommends     

Kaieteur News – The Commission of Inquiry into the March 2020 General elections has recommended major restructuring of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the enactment of campaign financing legislation here to govern future elections.

The report was handed over to President Irfaan Ali at the Office of the President on Wednesday.  Chaired by retired Turks and Caicos Justice of Appeal Stanley John and including former Chancellor of the Guyana Judiciary Carl Singh and Justice of Appeal Godfrey Smith, the COI insisted on the weeding out of the politicos at GECOM and increasing the role of independent members of civil society and professional experts. The Commission’s recommendation for the restructuring of GECOM mirrors that of a host of elections observer groups over the years. The current structure of GECOM caters for three commissioners appointed by the President and another three from the Opposition. The chairperson is chosen by the President from a list of candidates submitted by the Leader of the Opposition. As a result, over the years GECOM has been the scene of perpetual gridlock, which has been compounded in recent times with the current Chairperson, Retired Justice, Claudette Singh being accused of siding with the ruling party in most decisions that come down to a vote.

In making the case for restructuring of GECOM the COI said, “as it stands, the  structure  of  GECOM  is,  at  its  core,  politicised, making  it  difficult  for  it  to  operate  with  any  efficiency  or effectiveness.”  The COI recommended: “consideration should be given to amending this to allow for more balanced participation from other organizations or professionals   with   technical   expertise   thereby reducing the politicisation of the electoral process.”  In its report the COI noted that the Carter Center noted in its report on the 2001 elections, “As part  of  electoral  reform  efforts,  Guyana  should  give  careful consideration   to   alternative   models,   possibly   reducing   or eliminating  political party representation and  increasing the role of   independent   members   of   civil   society   and   professional experts.”

Additionally, the COI recommended changes to the legislative framework that governs elections, noting that the  legal  framework  for  the  conduct  of  elections  in  Guyana  is anchored primarily in the Constitution, the Representation of the People  Act  and  the  National  Registration  Act. “We are of the opinion   that   the   legislative   framework   provides   adequate grounds for the conduct of competitive elections. However, there do exist  several  ambiguities  which  have  left  room  for  political manipulation through litigation and the tarnishing of the electoral process.  Happily, the major anomalies have been addressed in the recently enacted Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2022.All persons who are eligible to vote must be allowed to exercise their franchise.  To this end we recommend that legislation be enacted to facilitate the following:

1. Persons with limited mobility not having to climb stairs to vote.
2. Visually impaired persons to vote using ballots prepared in Braille.

• Hearing impaired   persons   to   be   given   the   required assistance by a qualified Sign Language translator.

1. Persons who are challenged in a manner not mentioned in 1, 2 and 3 supra.

Additionally, the COI report mentioned that the commission received valuable contributions from the Private Sector Commission (PSC) through Captain Gerald Gouveia who chaired the PSC in 2020.  “The    PSC documented 16 recommendations for  improving  elections  in  Guyana  some  of which  have  been  enacted  in  the  Representation  of  the  People (Amendment)  Act,  2022.  For  their  contribution,  we  are  most grateful,” the report stated.

Campaign financing

Meanwhile, on the issue of campaign financing, the COI report observed that save  for  the  provisions  set  out  in  Part  XII  of ROPA,  there  is  no legislation    applicable    to    campaign    financing    in    Guyana. “Accordingly, there is a lack of transparency and accountability regarding political parties and   campaign financing.  Political parties have historically raised funds without any limitations regarding the source or amount of donation, and with very little obligation to disclose election expenses. There  is  a  strong  need  for  such  legislation  as  there  is  a perception  that  persons  and/or corporations  who  give  large donations stand to gain political favours,” the report stressed.

The report also flagged the role of the Guyana Police Force in elections here, noting that the role  of  the  police  is  to  preserve  law  and  order  and  detect crime. “There  should  be  some  prohibition  against  police  officers openly  showing  partisanship  in elections and  more  importantly so,  they  should  play  no  part  in  the  election  process  on  polling day  save  for  such  functions  that  are  delegated  to  them  by  the Commissioner of Police.”

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• Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Office of the President, President Irfaan Ali, Stanley John, Turks and Caicos Justice of Appeal

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