It is the belief of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) that the now-cancelled house-to-house registration exercise along with an extended claims and objections process will produce a credible voters’ list, the party’s General Secretary Amna Ally said yesterday.
She made the statement at the PNCR’s weekly press conference. The PNCR is the largest constituent of the APNU+AFC governing coalition.
Questioned on the party’s change of heart from staunchly advocating for house-to-house registration to produce a new voters’ list, Ally said the party is following the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) lead.
“We advocated for house-to-house registration because we believed that the list was contaminated and I can tell you examples because I am a lady in the fields…and the only way to sanitise the list, we believe, is house-to-house registration. But like anything else, we respect our constitution, we respect the courts, we are law-abiding citizens and so we go with the flow and if GECOM determines that this is the way to go to produce a credible list, so be it,” she said.
Ally emphasised that her party remains committed to respecting GECOM’s independence, the laws of Guyana, and upholding the constitution. She said the PNCR has always advocated for the holding of credible elections in the shortest possible time and in this regard, it is in agreement with the Chairperson of GECOM, retired Justice Claudette Singh, that a credible list is critical to a fair and free election.
“The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is prepared to go to the polls with any list; they don’t care if that list is corrupted. Why? However, the PNCR will continue to advocate for a credible list of electors. Guyanese need a voters’ list they can trust; to hold elections they can trust, to give them a government they can trust. This is central to our democracy and our future,” she said, reading from a prepared statement.
Ally added that her party is pleased that the data gathered from the house-to-house registration process will be considered in the new list of electors and said that they will use the proposed “extended” claims and objections period to rigorously peruse, and where necessary, further sanitise the new list of electors.
She said that the PNCR and its partners that make up the APNU+AFC coalition are in full election mode and are ready.
“No matter the date of election, the PNCR is ready and confident; for the choice is clear; this election will be a referendum on leadership. David Granger, a man of integrity, honesty; a statesman and leader, who has earned the nation’s trust versus a PPP candidate of questionable character facing multiple criminal charges,” she declared.
Ally was also questioned on her party’s manifesto. She said that they are working on it. She added that it would be ready in time for the elections campaign.
Following a decision by Justice Singh, GECOM announced on Tuesday that it would bring the ongoing national house-to-house registration exercise to a premature end today, August 31st.
In a statement, GECOM said she decided that “Order 25 of 2019 published in the Official Gazette should be amended for the exercise to conclude on 31st August, 2019 instead of 20th October, 2019” and that the information compiled over the last month will be merged with the current National Register of Registrants Database.
“…GECOM has an obligation to produce a credible Official List of Electors (OLE) in the first instance and ultimately credible elections within the shortest possible time…,” it said in a statement after meeting, before adding that the Commission will move to ensure all arrangements for the publication of a credible Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) before commencement of an extensive Claims and Objections (C&O) exercise.
While there was no vote on the issue, both government and opposition-nominated commissioners have acquiesced to the Chairperson’s position.
