As the March 18 Local Government Elections (LGE) date nears, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and foreign missions here say energies should be focused on getting the citizenry out to vote, rather than a blame game on who is not doing enough.
“I think to point the finger and say it is this or that person’s responsibility misses the point. All of us have a job to do, to make sure voters are educated and know to vote,” Charge d’Affaires of the United States Embassy Bryan Hunte said yesterday at a Private Sector Commission press conference on LGE.
“Gecom does not bear the sole responsibility for educating voters, that is a responsibility that should be shared between Gecom, the political parties, the candidates that are running, between civil society organisations, which means all of you in the media, so I think to point the finger and say it is this or that person’s responsibility misses the point. All of us have a job to do to make sure voters are educated and know to vote,” he said.
Head of the PSC Norman McLean stated that in conversations with Gecom, the issue of sensitisation on LGE and voting was raised, and while he feels that more could have been done he is satisfied that Gecom has tried. “This is one of the issues we spoke on…Have they discharged their responsibility to ensure people are aware of where they are going to vote what they have to do for voting? The answer is, as far as possible, yes they have done so. I feel better could have been done and I think what we have at the moment they have done a very good job but better could have been done,” he stated.
Stressing that there is an obligation on everyone to vote, both the ABC missions and the PSC pointed out that for these next two weeks all support and momentum should be used to educate voters on how and why their vote can make a difference in their lives, especially at their respective local levels.
“Why people should vote? For the last 20 years… we have always made the point that piecemeal work at the local government authority level is not going to solve our problem. The only thing that is going to see is that our cities are cleaned. Maintenance and management comes when the people of the towns take responsibility and hold the local government managers accountable,” PSC Executive Gerry Gouveia asserted.
“This is what is so important because if we want to live in orderly neighbourhoods and orderly local authority areas, we need to be able to have and touch and feel people we voted for. If they don’t perform, we must be able to remove them and these elections give us that opportunity. That is why, if we want to sustain living in a clean city, we must be able to pick and choose and remove the leaders we put in there,” he added.
The PSC Head said that he understands that “more and more persons in the communities are doing the leg work” and he hopes the reward for those works will be reflected in the percentage voter turnout come March 18.
Both groups informed that they will be observing the LGE and while they have not yet decided how many observers they will deploy, collectively, all regions will be monitored.
“The PSC is seeking to have maintenance of good governance in Guyana and has been consistently proactive in supporting the conduct of free and fair and peaceful elections in the country… The commission has received from Gecom, observer status and intends to deploy its members across the various regions of Guyana to assist in observing the process to help ensure that the elections are free, fair and free from fear,” McLean stressed.
However, he pointed out that of major concern to the PSC was that there may be a tendency for citizens, especially those unaccustomed to having a voice in the election of their local government officials, to place a low premium on the value of their votes. Therefore, he said, the danger exists that persons may want to stay away from voting on March 18.
It is in this vein that the PSC led a charge to eligible voters for them to exercise their franchise and ensure full participation in the electoral process. “The casting of votes in the 2016 LGE is the right of each and every eligible Guyanese. A right, moreover, that has long been denied to the people of Guyana. It is now incumbent upon each of us to exercise our constitutional right to vote for the
candidates of our choice…let us make our voices heard,” McLean urged.
The foreign missions also answered questions, which have been raised by the PPP, about their position at the last general elections, when after observing voting, they declared that the elections were free and fair. They were asked if those actions breached Gecom’s protocols.
“We strongly disagree. We pronounced on the basis… of not only what we have seen, but a variety of international organizations had seen and I know what the protocol said. Our view has not changed and no evidence has been given to change that view…,” British High Commissioner Greg Quinn stated.
“In that respect, then every international organisation that observed the elections last year, including the Commonwealth, did the same. In my opinion, to be perfectly honest, what we did at the time was completely appropriate. Looking back, would I do anything different today? No,” Quinn added.
He said the missions are confident that the preparations that would have been made by the Guyana Elections Commission are adequate to ensuring a free and fair contest and they all look forward to their observers seeing a high turnout on election day.
