The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has approved the lists of 11 contestants ahead of the March 2 General and Regional Elections (GRE); of that number nine will be contesting the General Elections.
Those parties are A Partner-ship for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), A New and United Guyana (ANUG), The Citizen-ship Initiative (TCI), the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), the New Movement (TNM), the United Republican Party (URP), People’s Republic Party (PRP) and Change Guyana.
The Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP) has been approved to contest in Region Four while the Federal United Party (FED-UP) will be contesting Regional Elections in Regions Five and Six.
Speaking with reporters following yesterday’s statutory meeting, Commissioner Sase Gunraj explained that the Guyana National Service Party (GNSP) led by Oral Semple and the National Independent Party led by Saphier Husain failed to satisfy the necessary criteria for inclusion on the ballot.
Gunraj also noted that while the URP has been approved to contest the elections their Leader, Vishnu Bandhu has withdrawn his candidacy since he is a dual citizen.
“He has indicated a desire to withdraw. He sent a letter to the Commission to that effect,” Gunraj noted adding that the Commission had subsequently given instructions to the Chief Election Officer on how to handle the situation.
Bandhu along with every other candidate for election was required to declare themselves eligible to sit as Members of the National Assembly.
Article 155(a) of the Constitution specifically disqualifies from election to the Assembly a person who by virtue of his own act is under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.
By declaring himself a candidate while a Citizen of a Foreign State, Bandhu has contravened the provisions of the Statutory Declaration Act and according to the Act has committed a misdemeanour offence for which he could be sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.
Asked if the commission has contemplated initiating a case against Bandhu and anyone else who may have similarly made a false declaration both Gunraj and Vincent Alexander declined to say anything other than CEO Keith Lowenfield has been directed to address the matter.
“Dr. Bandhu, who made a false declaration, will be treated in the manner required… The CEO has been advised to look at the provisions of the law and deal with it within that framework,” Alexander said adding that “if Dr. Bandhu is not eligible, what essentially GECOM would do is not approve him as a candidate; there is no other action GECOM will take in direct relationship with Dr. Bandhu.”
GECOM is also considering how to deal with leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman who signed the declaration after submitting the requisite documents to renounce his Canadian citizenship but whom it appears has not yet received confirmation of same.
Co-founder of Change Guyana, Nigel Hinds, an American citizen, who had been reported as the party’s Prime Ministerial Candidate had apparently never submitted himself as a candidate.
“Mr Hinds as far as our records indicate did not offer himself as a candidate,” Gunraj stressed.
Meanwhile the Commission in moving forward with its preparation for elections will immediately make contact with the contractor to begin the process of printing the requisite ballot papers.
Gunraj and Commissioner Charles Corbin are expected to travel within a week to oversee the operations of the Canadian contractor.
Additionally as the Commonwealth Secretariat prepares to observe the March 2 elections its Senior Technical Adviser, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan yesterday met with the commission.
Afari-Gyan, the former Chair of the Ghana Electoral Commission is part of an advance team currently in the country. The team will be joined at the end of the month by former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Dr. Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi.
