Today between 1 and 5 pm the largest number of political parties ever to contest a General and Regional Election (GRE) in Guyana is expected to descend on the Umana Yana and submit their lists of Candidates for the much anticipated March 2, 2020 elections.
While attention over the last week has centred on the launch of the two major parties, the APNU+AFC Coalition and the PPP/C, it was a much smaller party which “jumped to front” ahead of Nomination Day.
The excited members of The New Movement took up their post outside the venue on Wednesday night, a full two days before the scheduled activity.
“We just want to be first,” Presidential Candidate Asha Kissoon told Stabroek News.
The desire of the excited “youth” who make up TNM seemed to have become contagious as at least two other parties had also taken up a position outside the compound when Stabroek News visited yesterday.
A New and United Guyana (ANUG) which will appear on the ballot with the Federal United Party (FED-UP) was represented by the PPP/C defector Akanni Blair while the ever present United Republican Party had deployed two activists to “hold their spot”.
Each party contesting the General Elections will be required to present at least six geographical
constituency list of no more than 45 candidates supported by 150 to 175 nominators each.
The validity of these names and their verification will likely prove contentious today.
The list must originate from constituencies which together account for 13 of the 25 constituency seats available at the election. This has traditionally meant that each party contests in Region 4 which accounts for seven seats. Two regions, Region 3 and 6 account for the second largest number at three each while Regions 1,2,5,7 and 10 each account for two seats. Regions 8 and 9 each account for one seat.
Additionally each party must present a National Top Up list which should have at least 42 candidates, one of whom must be identified as the Presidential Candidate. At least 300 and no more than 330 electors from across the country are expected to sign as nominators for these listed candidates.
These lists must be labelled with the Party’s name and include a symbol for inclusion on the Ballot Paper. A Representative and Deputy Representative of the list are also required to be identified.
For Regional Elections each party must present a list of no less than 12 and no more than 36 candidates living in the Region with support from 150 to 175 nominators.
Notably a candidate can only be on one Party list and a nominator can only sign as supporter for one party.
Further at least one third of the candidates on the National Top Up list must be female as should one third of the total candidates on all Geographical lists.
Once the lists are submitted to GECOM, they will be subjected to checks and the parties will have an opportunity to make amendments.
Last evening, amid concerns that lists could be filled with names that were not properly secured, former PPP/C Attorney General Anil Nandlall issued the following statement: “I call upon GECOM to report to the Police any and all incidence(s) of unauthorized/ forged names, either on the candidates’ lists, or on the list of backers for the upcoming National and Regional Elections, with firm instructions to institute criminal charges against those implicated, including, the intellectual authors”.
Aside from the two major political groupings, the lists of ANUG, the Liberal and Justice Party helmed by Lenox Shuman and the Change Guyana party led by businessmen Robert Badal are expected to garner interest. There is a growing belief that one or two of the smaller parties may be able to clinch a seat and thereby hold the balance of power in Parliament. The last parliament saw only APNU+AFC and the PPP/C present. Less than 5,000 votes had separated the two political contestants.
Once the lists of the various parties are cleared, GECOM will move ahead with arrangements for the printing of ballot papers.
Vehicles draped in the logos of the parties in front of the Umana Yana yesterday.
The New Movement in their quest to be the first party to present their list on Nomination Day today parked their truck just in front of the Umana Yana on Wednesday.
Work in preparation for Nomination Day taking place in the compound of the Umana Yana yesterday.
