The APNU+AFC alliance plans to challenge the decision made by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to not allow party polling agents to vote at the polling stations they will monitor on election day.
On Thursday, the commission voted against issuing certificates to party polling day staff for the May 11 General and Regional Elections. The votes were tied at three apiece before GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally cast the deciding vote.
“This is something we intend to challenge,” APNU+AFC member Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine told a press conference yesterday.
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Let me say that we are concerned…that in fact they will not be issuing certificates of employment,” Roopnaraine stressed, explaining that these are needed to allow polling agents and election day officials to vote in districts and divisions where they are not registered.
“Issuing certificates of employment is within the jurisdiction of GECOM. We are saying that if our polling day officials are not allowed to vote outside of the districts that they are registered, it limits our own ability to ensure that we can put the polling day agents that we want in particular areas,” he added.
However, Surujbally told Stabroek News that the agency’s decision was based on the law. “We went with our interpretation of the law…party agents do not belong in that category,” he said.
Nonetheless, APNU+AFC plans to lobby Surujbally and by extension GECOM, on the grounds that not only was this done up to 2006 and for some persons in the 2011 elections, but that their interpretation of the law shows that it is within GECOM’s purview to allow this.
“In 2006 and before, it happened but GECOM in 2011 changed it. They have not given any reason all they said they were not doing it… If the person is an accredited voter and if GECOM has given that person accreditation, then they should allow them,” APNU+AFC co-chairman Raphael Trotman told Stabroek News.
He said that the alliance plans to first have an internal discussion on the issue over the weekend and hope to meet with GECOM on Monday to discuss the matter. He said that if persuasion fails, they will seek legal recourse in the High Court for an interpretation of the law. “There is an overarching power in the law to ensure the smooth administration… GECOM can allow,” he stated.
He noted an example of GECOM using vested powers and not law where a decision is made to have the disciplined services’ ballots stamped on Election Day and not on the designated day on which the disciplined services vote. “Nothing in the law…says the disciplined services (ballot) has to stamp on E-Day but because of the expediencies, GECOM has reserve overarching powers and use it,” he added.
Meanwhile, the alliance officials also emphasised that while there would be rigid scrutiny of the electoral list, they still hold GECOM responsible for ensuring that there are no irregularities and that it is a “clean list.”
Both Roopnaraine and AFC General-Secretary David Patterson said that to date, no discrepancies have been found but the process is still in its gestational phase. It was pointed out that the significant increase in voters in regions 1, 2, 7 and 8 will be one of the first areas to be scrutinised by the coalition teams but all regions will be carefully analyzed.
