Commending the Guyanese diaspora in New York for their support in preventing electoral fraud at last year’s general elections here, Attorney General Anil Nandlall on Friday said planned areas for reform include the process for employing electoral workers.
“A second component of the reform must be directed to the employment process and the quality and calibre of people who are considered for employment. They must be able to withstand scrutiny and examination,” Nandlall said at an event organised by the International Council for Democracy (ICD) at the Rockaway Roti Shop last Friday evening.
He added that government has “recognised that no matter what law you put, if you put a miscreant in the system, he will pervert the law, no matter how clear it is.”
In his address, Nandlall pointed out that while there are elements of voters’ fraud all over the world, Guyana has a unique issue.
He promised that the Government of Guyana (GoG) will look at legislation to “tighten all of the loose bolts and bring clarity to the language” of the electoral system.
Nandlall told members of the diaspora that the electoral reform intends to make it clear to returning officers that the basis of tabulation must be “nothing but the Statements of Poll.”
Referring to what happened during the last elections when elections officials attempted to use a spreadsheet, Nandlall lamented that “…no one can pull out a spreadsheet from their back pocket and throw away the people’s votes and declare that and tabulate that as the results.”
Nandlall, who said the proposed reforms will soon be made public, stressed that they are not intended to create an electoral advantage for any party.
The proposals are objective, he said, and are “directed and intended to strengthen the machinery of the electoral system so that they can restore public confidence and integrity to that system.”
Noting that there will be oppositions to the reforms, Nandlall said it is government’s responsibility to protect the state and prevent a recurrence of what had transpired.
Government, he said, will be the driving force in the reform process, which will include the engagement of all stakeholders.
He told the meeting that those who are allegedly involved in the electoral fraud are before the court facing 30 criminal charges.
Equal opportunities
Meanwhile, Nandlall said in his address that the government is committed to making every Guyanese feel that they have an equal place and are entitled to equal opportunities to realise their dreams and their potential.
According to him, government’s programme in each ministry is structured in such a way that it targets all the people in the country, and that if there is a prejudice or bias, it is in favour of the poor and the working people of the country.
He was pleased when he visited Moraikobai in the Upper Mahaicony Creek a week ago that “41 of our Amerindian children have signed on to the national scholarship programme, which is structured to cater for teenagers and young men and women” and older folks.
The programme, which covers academic, non-academic and technical courses, would help them to benefit the most when jobs are available.
The residents have gotten the opportunity to study from their location, which government has equipped with a computer lab and has installed free Wi-Fi internet access.
He told the diaspora, too, that government is concentrating on a solid local government policy and law to protect jobs in the country to ensure that Guyanese benefit first.
He said the policy is not for government officials to sit in offices in George-town and do the work, but they believe in going on the ground and meeting the people and listening to their concerns, whether they voted for them or not.
Nandlall also said that government officials have “gone into flood affected communities and stood with the people and expressed their solidarity and gave them support and comfort and try as hard as possible to ensure that they get some form of relief.”
He made mention of the $10 billion that was approved in parliament for flood relief across the country, while adding that the government has declared the flood a national disaster, which qualifies Guyana for international assistance.
Crime-fighting strategy
Meanwhile, in addressing a question from the audience in relation to crime-fighting and police reform, Nandlall said a huge sum of money was given to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Office of the President to launch a new crime strategy.
He said the new crime plan would be disclosed shortly by the relevant ministry.
He pointed out that government has also instructed the police force to make the crime stats public because there has been marked decline in certain types of offences.
He said crime continues to be a challenge and that government is working every day towards addressing that.
He noted that government is working to “strengthen the investigative capacity of the police force and that the prosecutorial capabilities of the state, by staffing the forensic lab and getting more lawyers as police legal advisers, increasing the staff complement at the Special Organized Crime Unit and adding more forensic personnel as well as legal advisers.”
In terms of reform, he said it was “a work in progress” while mentioning the challenges the administration is facing with the Police Service Commission (PSC), which he charged “has decided to join the opposition in filing cases against the government and swears affidavit in support of the opposition and expects that the people of Guyana will regard it as impartial and independent.”
A concern was also raised about local Guyanese applying for house-lots but still not getting access to them.
Nandlall responded by saying that government is dealing with a backlog of housing applications that were ignored by the previous administration.
He said the procedure is long but the Ministry of Housing is “working day and night to accelerate it,” so that all of the past and current applications would be processed.
He pointed out that during a visit to Linden he was made aware of the previous government handing out house-lots in a bushy area without any surveying or demarcation being done.
He learnt of the situation when a resident pointed to the bushes and asked when those house-lots would be processed.
He said the government’s housing programme is different as it first develops the land and puts in infrastructure, such as roads, water and electricity, before allocating the house-lots.
With regards to whether there are plans to rectify the ExxonMobil oil deal by the previous administration, Nandlall said that a change in government does not mean that they can interfere with the contract.
He noted that it is against the law to do so and that it could have “deep and far reaching” implications for the country as “an investment destination.”
Describing the revised agreement with ExxonMobil as “one of the most lopsided contracts ever,” which was done secretly, without consultations, he said the oil company has a right to insist on some of the terms because of the concept of the sanctity of contract.
He promised though, that there will be changes when the contracts are renegotiated.
The forum also saw a virtual presentation by President Irfaan Ali, who outlined the progress the government has made in its 11 months in office and its plans to take Guyana forward.
Meanwhile, a small crowd of APNU+AFC supporters, led by activist Rickford Burke, gathered outside the venue to protest Nandlall.
Members of the New York Police Department monitored the protestors, who were asked to stay behind the barricades.
The group chanted slogans and took turns speaking through loud hailers. They awaited the arrival of Nandlall and questioned why he was “taking so long.”
Just before the start of the 7 pm event, he rolled up in a black private security vehicle that reversed directly in front of the elevator and he, along with his team, entered the building without paying the protesters any heed.
