Dear Editor,
The current controversy over the US Government announcement of the electoral reform project to be executed by the International Republican Institute (IRI) shows that the issue of electoral reform in Guyana continues to resonate with the public. The Electoral Reform Group (ERG) is encouraged by the continuing public sense of urgency for concrete electoral reform to be achieved in Guyana.
ERG is a non-partisan group focused on promoting dialogue and stakeholder engagement that is based on citizen inputs. ERG will facilitate national ownership for reforms as a means of ensuring their implementation. ERG’s position is that to truly transform the prospects for Guyanese, electoral reform must embrace principles such as accountability, inclusiveness, representativeness, stability and transparency. We believe that civil society must have central involvement in the electoral reform process, and to that end emphasize non-partisanship as critical to our credibility.
One thing that this episode bears out is the importance of the reform process itself. A reform that fails to address the country’s political conditions and lay the groundwork for constructive governance would be worse than no reform. Superficial reform would just make a bad situation worse.
We at ERG welcome support to the reform project from foreign governments including the US, noting the offers by India and Canada. How-ever, we are uncomfortable with this IRI-executed project in that we believe that electoral reform must be driven by dialogue and negotiation among Guyanese people. Quite apart from the intentions behind the project, we are concerned that it appears to be conceived and designed by IRI without sufficient Guyanese input and ownership. The project as currently presented runs the risk of hardening the political chasm currently blocking needed electoral reform. While all Parliamentary parties are variously supportive of reforms, the details of what, why, when, and how requires a national consensus. Without a multi-party solution to Guyana’s electoral problem, we are kicking the reform can down the road. It appears that repairing GECOM is a central focus of the project. We at ERG agree that fundamental GECOM reform is a critical, necessary part of electoral reform, but it is not enough. While reform of the election machinery is necessary to avoid a repetition of the quagmire of the 2020 General Election, electoral reform must address the underlying weaknesses of the electoral system that are responsible for the political dysfunction standing in the way of national development.
Electoral reform must be ambitious and substantive enough to make a difference, with a central role for civil society in the negotiation and design of a reformed electoral system and Commission. Civil society must not be an afterthought. All around the world, the importance of strong involvement of citizen-based entities in the reform process is recognized. Ultimately, political stability matters most to citizens and their involvement is necessary to lend substance and credibility to the process. Guyanese can expect ERG to continue with these public discussions, as we deepen a national dialogue on electoral reform. We urge the public to continue sharing thoughts and to become an ERG member via our Facebook page or e-mail at erg@electoralreformgy.org.
Sincerely,
Alfred Bhulai
Desmond Thomas
Devta Ramroop
Heetasmin Singh
Kerry Anne Cort
Lawrence Lachmansingh
René Edwards
Rory Fraser
