The opposition PPP today called for electoral reforms to be placed on the front burner including a fresh voters list, improved bio-metrics, electronic voting and a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
Having refused to accept the results of this year’s general elections, the PPP said that after twenty-three years with “absolutely no reforms” at GECOM to cater for institutional strengthening through more transparent and impartial practices, the time has come for reforms to be placed on the front burner. The PPP was in office over that period and would have been able to introduce the reforms it is now seeking. While the party has rejected the results of the election, which it lost by a narrow margin, the international community has affirmed the validity of the polls.
The PPP called for the following reforms:
- Enhanced bio-metrics
- Electronic voting
- Bringing the GECOM Secretariat under the purview of the Commission to enable the Commission to give the Secretariat general orders and directions.
- Recruitment of GECOM’s key election officials such as Returning Officers and Presiding Officers and Poll Clerks through improved transparent and impartial processes.
- A new voters’ list to be compiled on the basis of a fresh house to house enumeration.
- Review the process that allows for voting by the Disciplined Services.
- Amend the relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act to allow for the enactment of appropriate legislation to facilitate implementation of agreed reforms.
- Selection of a new Chairman of GECOM
The PPP provided no details on the enhanced bio-metrics that it is seeking. Fingerprinting is used at the moment. The voters list for this year’s elections was thought to have been swollen with the names of tens of thousands of people who have migrated or have died and this had raised concerns for all parties.
Following its loss of the election, the PPP began calling for the removal of GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally and its statement today continues this demand.
With local government elections likely to be held in the coming months, the PPP’s sought-after reforms raises the question of the minimum that it would like to be in place before it contests.
The PPP pointed out that prior to 1992 elections the following reforms were instituted:
- Counting of the votes at the place of poll;
- A new voters’ list compiled on the basis of house to house enumeration;
- Expansion of the Elections Commission and the selection of a new Chairman;
- International and local observers to be present at polling stations.
The PPP said it is convinced that with its new proposed reforms enjoying the support of APNU+AFC, the donor community and other stakeholders, “Guyana’s electoral system supervised by GECOM will see the cleansing of the Augean stables thus enabling GECOM to make a `fresh start’”.
The PPP said it will be seeking clarification on proposals by Canada and the US to assist in the area of electronic voting. It noted that legal steps would have to be instituted to facilitate the introduction of machines for electronic counting and for tabulation of votes at any elections in Guyana.
It stated that GECOM must be integrally involved at all stages in relation to these offers by the US and Canada and “must, in the final analysis, be a key decision-maker on the matter, not the government alone.”
The PPP added that the introduction of machines for electronic counting must be discussed with all the stakeholders in a timely and transparent manner.
Further, such offers must not remain exclusive to the Granger-led APNU+AFC Coalition Administration, the party said.
