Maintaining its opposition to house-to-house registration, the opposition PPP today charged that the process is meant to de-register thousands.
A statement from the PPP follows:
The leadership of the People’s Progressive Party met today (July 22, 2019) and decided that to participate in the Guyana Elections Commission’s illegal National House to House Registration will make it complicit in aiding and abetting the violation of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) June 18th 2019 rulings and July 12th 2019 consequential orders, which upheld the Guyana Constitution.
The Caribbean Court of Justice ruling and consequential orders stated that the No Confidence Motion was valid, the No Confidence Motion was passed with 33 of 65 member National Assembly, and, as a result the President and Cabinet must resign, and, elections must be held within three months as required by article 106 (6) and (7).
Further the CCJ ordered that, “The Guyana Elections Commission has a responsibility to conduct that Election and GECOM too must abide by the provisions of the Constitution.”
The PPP, therefore, shall not participate in this illegal unilateral activity by the Chief Elections Officer which threatens peace and stability in the country and undermines constitutional rule. The Chief Elections Officer has embarked on a House to House Registration in defiance of the Caribbean Court of Justice, the apex court of Guyana, and, even in defiance of the advice of GECOM’s internal legal officer, at a time when there is no functioning Commission in place. He must be stopped. The approach to the court to bring an injunction to stop the National House to House Registration is one stage of the struggle to ensure that constitutional rule is preserved.
The PPP is convinced that this House to House exercise is intended to deliberately de-register thousands of Guyanese voters. The objective is to delay elections to facilitate the APNU/AFC government remaining in office illegally after September 18th 2019.
The PPP gives notice that it will, therefore, not accept any voters’ lists generated by this illegal exercise.
We remain resolute in our position that the illegal House to House registration must be stopped and that the claims and objection period must commence. GECOM must immediately start preparations for general and regional elections in compliance with Article 106 (7) of the Constitution and the CCJ’s rulings and consequential orders.
The Peoples’ Progressive Party urges Guyanese not to support this illegal exercise and calls on all political parties, civil society and other stakeholders, including the international community, to condemn this unconstitutional act.