‘Reforms at GECOM possible before elections’

Nov 12, 2024 News

---

—WPA says as it demands clean voters’ list, biometrics

Kaieteur News- The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) said that much needed reforms at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) are possible before next year’s general and regional elections and the party also called for the implementation of biometrics and the sanitisation of the voters’ list.

The WPA as part of the wider opposition parties has made the issue of a clean voters’ list and biometrics the centerpiece of their advocacy.

Last week Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo said that GECOM must be ready for elections by August next year. Speaking at the WPA’s weekly news conference on Monday, co-leader, Dr. David Hinds said the party continues to believe that everything must be done by GECOM and the relevant stakeholders, including the political parties, to ensure that the imminent national and regional elections are free and fair and free from fear. “No stone must be left unturned, and all aspects of the electoral machinery and process must be addressed with the seriousness they deserve,” Hinds told the news conference. “Because our elections determine who governs in a winner-take-all system which confers on the winner almost absolute power and relegates the loser to a state of powerlessness, GECOM must treat all concerns with the utmost urgency and meticulousness they deserve,” Hinds said.

He said that it is against that background that WPA welcomes in principle the feasibility study being currently considered by GECOM. “Having said that we have some concerns. First, any serious feasibility study should have been prepared by an independent source rather than by the Chief Election Officer who does not enjoy the confidence of the full commission and all of the political parties,” WPA said, adding that the report of the study emphasises more why the necessary reforms, especially as they relate to biometrics, should not be adopted.

“In particular, it cites cost, time constraints and reliability of the proposed system as potential obstacles to their implementation. Third, while WPA feels that biometrics is an absolute necessity, we insist it must be part of a larger reform initiative, which must include, at a minimum, a clean voters’ list and an impartial GECOM machinery. It is a case of all or nothing.”

Hinds said the WPA feels that there is still enough time to put the reforms in place before the next election. “Time constraints should not be used as an obstacle to free and fair elections. We note Vice President Jagdeo’s public instruction to GECOM to put preparations in place by next August.  The Vice President is out of order. He is implicitly instructing GECOM to stick to his agenda rather than to ensure a credible and efficient machinery and process that can pass the test of a free and fair election. WPA will resist this bullying of GECOM,” Hinds said.

WPA also called on GECOM to exercise its constitutional autonomy “and not be bullied by the VP, his party and the government; GECOM is not an arm of the PPP. Its responsibility is to the constitution, the laws of the country and the citizens of Guyana.”

The party reiterated that it supports all moves aimed at ensuring a fair, just and credible process including a delay of the elections as a last resort. “We wish to remind the nation that the critical 1992 elections were delayed for almost two years to ensure that GECOM put in place the necessary reforms mandated by the all-party agreement brokered by President Jimmy Carter.” “For the WPA, the issue of prohibitive cost is hardly a constraint. While we do not promote wastage and binge-spending, we feel that Guyana can afford the cost cited in the study. A government, which spends money like a drunken sailor on its pet projects and waste money on corrupt initiatives should not complain about spending on electoral integrity. Further, a government that is prepared to spend tens of million on political witch-hunting of GECOM personnel but is not prepared to spend on electoral integrity is at best hypocritical. GECOM must look for the best deal, but it must ensure that there is biometrics. We have already addressed the effectiveness of the technology against factors such as power failure.”

Biometrics  

On the issue of biometrics, Hinds said WPA fears that GECOM is aiming to use the PPP majority to signoff against biometrics. “This would be a grave error that could have far-reaching consequences. We therefore call on the Madam Chair to show impartial leadership by disentangling herself from the PPP chokehold and uphold the integrity of her office. In a partisan commission, the role of the chairperson is critical to its impartial and democratic functioning. WPA feels that Ms. Claudette Singh has failed GECOM, the constitution and the country in this regard. However, there is still time for her to correct the situation,’ Hinds said.

The party leader also said that the WPA is alarmed at reports emanating from GECOM that there has been potential tampering with the voters’ list. “We are reliably informed that the customary practice of updating the list every six months has been changed to monthly updates without the knowledge of the commissioners. These frequent updates increase the potential for undetected tampering. The WPA asks two questions which we call on GECOM to address. First, why the change to monthly or more frequent updates? Second, why were the commissioners not informed of the change?”

(‘Reforms at GECOM possible before elections’)

---

• biometrics, Guyana Elections Commission, voters' list, Working Peoples’ Alliance

---