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AFC meets with Commonwealth Observer Mission, reiterates concerns about GECOM’s readiness for elections
Representatives of the Commonwealth Observer Mission with representatives of the AFC
Kaieteur News – The Alliance For Change (AFC) recently met with representatives of the Commonwealth Observer Mission, during which the party raised serious concerns regarding the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) readiness to conduct free and fair elections.
According to the AFC, GECOM remains unprepared to deliver credible elections ahead of the upcoming general and regional elections, scheduled for September 1.
In a statement issued on Friday, AFC said its delegation was led by party chairman David Patterson, while the Commonwealth team was headed by Linford Andrews, adviser and head of the Commonwealth Electoral Support Section.
The Commonwealth Observer Mission is currently on a pre-election assessment visit and is expected to observe the electoral process a few days before and after election day.
During the meeting, the AFC outlined a number of concerns to the Commonwealth team. “The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) failed to act over the last four years with regards to implementing many of the crucial recommendations made by the international observer groups following the 2020 election,” the party stated.
Among the issues highlighted by AFC were GECOM’s refusal to address the large voter’s list, its reluctance to consider the use of biometric verification at polling stations, and its failure to respond to written queries submitted by the party.
The AFC also raised concerns about the current composition of GECOM, which it believes undermines the commission’s independence. Specifically, the party expressed discomfort with the fact that the legal advisor to GECOM is both a sitting government minister and a senior executive of the ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP), emphasising the matter as a conflict of interest.
“The Alliance For Change maintains that GECOM appears unprepared to hold free, fair, and transparent elections and has done little to build public confidence in its systems,” the party concluded.
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