Dear Editor,
The Revolutionaries Party under the leadership of Glenfield Dennison has noted several developments in the University of Guyana Students’ Society elections process that are of grave concern. The latest is the introduction of a new voting system, the automated voter machines (AVMs) as a pilot study on the eve of students’ elections scheduled for October 1, 3 and 4, 2014.
The Revolutionaries campaign received correspondence from UG’s Assistant Registrar for Students’ Welfare, Daniella King, who administers and supervises the UGSS elections, on the morning of Friday September 26, notifying candidates of the change from the old voting process.
Later that evening we received additional correspondence on the matter, which said, among other things, that another training programme with the returning officers was to be conducted.
We oppose this new measure on the grounds that there has been no voter education programme to date on the new voting system, and candidates and their campaigns also have not been briefed in any meaningful way on how this system operates or about any shortcomings, if they exist. Revolutionaries reject the new measure because in any democratic society voter education is the duty of the entity conducting the elections and is not left up to the contending parties.
By way of a post on social media by UG’s Public Relations Depart-ment on Friday we were advised that the AVM-based system will “allow for the casting, tabulation and generation of the statement of polls.
“The use of electoral technology is expected to improve the integrity of the vote count, allowing students to have more confidence in its legitimacy.”
And additionally, “The use of this new technology was made possible through the University partnering with the Government of Canada, and the Canadian-based non-governmental organisation known as The DELIAN Project, to fund the use of the automated technology.”
We are not adverse to the new system in principle; however, the timing of its implementation is unacceptable. Note, UG communicated to candidates that the new deadline for them to withdraw from the UGSS elections was Monday, September 22, 2014 at 12 noon. The notification came via email on September 17, 2014 without any reason being stated for the change. On September 19, 2014 UG posted on its Facebook page that the change was to facilitate, “adequate time for the preparation (overseas) of the ballot paper.”
This is either an indication that UG meant to continue its normal sole paper ballot voting or knew since then that it meant to change the system but failed to inform students.
We are further advised that, “The Delian team will be in Guyana from September 29, 2014. They are expected to give a demonstration of the AVMs on the same day, at 15:30 h in the Education Lecture Theatre, Turkeyen Campus.”
We are further convinced that this time-frame will not allow for our students to be properly and adequately advised, and that the new system will be without any proper test runs before the elections commence two days after the demonstrations at the Turkeyen and Tain campuses.
We call on the Guyana Elections Commission, which has been extended an invitation by UG to observe the voting process at both campuses, to refuse same as students will not be sufficiently informed on this new feature, an act which strikes at the heart of a democratic and transparent process.
Further, this latest action of the university plays into a narrative of trampling on the rights and legitimate concerns of our student population. We were similarly concerned that there were not adequate and meaningful consultations on the recent adjustment of tuition fees and the new facilities fee – two eventualities that have caused much financial distress to our students.
Further on the UGSS elections, Revolutionaries have observed several features which we find troubling: There have been no events scheduled as obtained in recent years. For instance, there used to be a ‘Meet the Candidates’ informal forum. This is yet to be announced or has been scrapped altogether without warning. Also, our campaign has learnt that the Student’s Welfare Department will not be organizing the presidential debates scheduled for Monday 29, 2014 at both campuses. This debate is a crucial part of the UGSS election cycle; who will be organizing it remains a mystery.
Yours faithfully,
Glenfield Dennison
The Revolutionaries Party
