The Electoral Reform Group (ERG) says that it has not given up in it its pursuit of electoral reform, a process it says that must be based on national dialogue with civil society playing a substantive role.
The ERG is a civil society organisation run by volunteers whose goal is to advocate for and support the establishment of the electoral reform process, with a major role for civil society toward the achievement of inclusionary democracy in Guyana.
These remarks were made in an ERG release on Monday which also stated that that the Group has taken note of an announcement made in May by the Attorney General Anil Nandlall of a project to strengthen the capacities of GECOM and the Attorney General’s Chambers.
The release noted that at the time, the AG had stressed that the project was of the “highest priority given its vital importance to the maintenance of good governance, public order, and national development.”
According to the ERG, based on this announcement, it wrote to the AG and the Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs on September 6 and 30 respectively requesting an update on the “progress and proposed timelines for the completion of the project.” The Group also asked for information on the government’s electoral reform plans, including the review of the Representation of the People Act (RoPA) and proposed timelines for completing the reform plans. The ERG lamented that no response has been forthcoming so far.
The Group however iterates that GECOM and RoPA are “pressing” necessities that must be carried out “swiftly” to make way for Local Government Elections which are expected this year, and also in preparation for the next general and regional elections. It also expressed concern that amendments to RoPA alone, while necessary, are “insufficient” to address the core of Guyana’s electoral problem.
As far as the ERG is concerned, at minimum, the electoral reforms should encompass the following: A) address the structure and composition of GECOM itself and not just staffing matters of its secretariat or electoral offences. B) Incorporate substantive effective citizen involvement in the reform process consistent with Article 13 of the Constitution as well as the creation of an inclusionary democracy in Guyana via a comprehensive national consultative process aimed at achieving a consensus reform proposal for parliamentary consideration. C) Ensure that a new and improved electoral system which increases the accountability of parliamentarians to citizens is used for future national elections.
The Group assured that it stands willing to participate, along with other stakeholders, and lend support to the electoral reform process, the release added.
