– 30 parties, groups may contest

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is “well on track” in its preparations for upcoming local government elections, which could see up to 30 parties and groups contesting, Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally said yesterday.

Speaking at a workshop for political parties on ‘the new electoral system’ for local government elections 2010, he explained that the GECOM has been proceeding according to its work plan. “…And if everything goes right, I daresay the [Local Government] minister in his wisdom would decide on a date some time in early or mid April, but that is not my decision to make,” he added.

Addressing the participants at the workshop, he emphasised that they are part of the commission’s strategy for communicating its message. He noted that not all of the 30-odd parties that have expressed a desire to contest the elections were present. However, he added that “in the act of bending over backwards,” GECOM would host either individual or selective sessions with the absentees. “I want no one to say they were left behind,” he declared.

The objectives of the workshop were to review the laws governing the new electoral system; to describe the basic features of the new system; to consider the order pertaining to councillors for each of the 71 local authority areas; to explain the demarcation process in relation to constituencies for local government areas; and to discuss advance preparations for the upcoming poll.

The elections, constitutionally due before the end of the year, would be the first to use the new mixed system of proportional representation and first past the post, providing for the involvement and representation of individuals and voluntary groups in addition to political parties.” The new electoral system also affirms that “there shall be accountability to electors.”

Surujbally, noting that criticism that GECOM has faced over its public education activities, reiterated that the new system is “very complex and complicated” business. “It is the first time that we are using this system and we had to get it right,” he said, adding that the commission has been working according to its plan. In this regard, he also stressed that it took the deliberate decision not to clutter the minds of electors, noting that it waited until the wrapping up of Claims and Objections to phase in its information campaign about the new system. However, in this regard, Surujbally also noted that GECOM is walking a fine line. He said if too much information is given it is accused of too much verbiage, while if it extracts and extrapolates certain poignant areas, it is accused of being too superficial.

Surujbally told the participants that the commission has an “A Team” well versed in the minutiae of the new system, and he noted that it is lucky to have one of the commissioners–Vincent Alexander–who was a co-chair of Joint Task Force on Local Government Reform and an architect of the new system. He implored the parties to have confidence and trust in the people most knowledgeable about the new system, and he urged that they seek their counsel if they encounter any difficulties.

A potential difficulty, he explained, is using words loosely. He referred to newspaper advertisements and pamphlets aimed at garnering support for prospective mayoral candidates. “…Obviously that person doesn’t understand that is not the way it is done– no persons can elect him mayor,” he said.

The mixed system would see 50% proportional representation and 50% first past the post to be used within each local authority area. Members to be elected under the proportional representational (PR) system shall be elected on a party list or voluntary group list, while members to be elected for the first past the post system are to be elected for a party, a voluntary group or as an individual whether or not nominated by a party or a group.

In addition to the new system, a new proviso in the law provides that each voluntary group or political party would be allowed to submit lists containing the names of persons qualified to be elected for each area. While the party or group could duplicate a name on both lists, subject to a number of conditions, a candidate’s name would only be allowed to appear once on each list. Further, all candidates would have to be registered voters resident in that local authority area.

Participants at the workshop were to have been drawn from the following parties and groups: Alliance for Change, the Fundamental Structure Group, God Bless Guyana, Good and Green Guyana, Guyana Action Party, Guyana National Congress, Guyana Nationalists Party, Guyana National Reconstruction Party, Guyana Republic Party, Horizon and Star, Justice For All Party, Liberal Democrats, National Democratic Front, National Front Alliance, People’s Bread and Butter, the People’s Democratic  Con-gress, People’s Democratic Movement, People’s Demo-cratic Party/Civic, People’s Republic Party, Rise, Organise and Rebuild, The Independent Party, The United Force, United Muslim Party, United People’s Party, Unity Party, Vision Guyana and the Working People’s Alliance.