Civil society group, Article 13 on Saturday called for the extension of consultations for proposed electoral reforms and warned that key areas had been neglected in the draft changes presented by the government.
“Article 13 calls on the Government to immediately extend the period of consultation which ends on December 17, and to engage in meaningful consultation with the people of the country. The laid down procedure lacks transparency, shuts out large segments of the population and fails to address the fundamental issues affecting elections in Guyana since Independence fifty-five years ago”, a statement on Saturday from the group said.
Describing the draft amendments as “form over substance”, Article 13 noted that several of the amendments introduce stiff penalties, including a ten million dollars fine and lifetime imprisonment for certain conduct by elections officials.