Dear Editor,
I put the following questions which in my view are beyond party affiliation and partisan politics… this is about the future of the country. I ask, why is the Chair of GECOM afraid to do that which is required to ensure the best efforts are put to provide for free and fair elections in Guyana? After presiding over one of the most controversial and questionable elections in the country’s history, not forgetting the diabolical act by Gocool Boodoo in the 2011 elections, the call for a fresh voters list is a just call and is based not just on allegations of fraud being made, but evidence of substantial and undeniable irregularities and electoral breaches that have called the veracity of the 2020 Regional and National Elections into question.
Where else in the world an Elections Commission Chair, who admitted that grave irregularities were unearthed during an election recount process would then advise that those said anomalies have to be addressed by an elections petition and not by fresh elections? Why is the Chair of GECOM failing to do the right and sensible thing, to ensure that any elections thereafter, will be done with a fresh voters list, under an upgraded and tighter system, to stop or prevent as far as possible any such grave mishap?
Why aren’t efforts being made to present results reflecting the true will of the people in a democratic process? The Chair of GECOM undoubtedly has the best opportunity to help Guyana have a truly democratic society and a government that reflects the will of the people. But when one ponders on the posture of the Chair on matters of national importance, only she and the PPP’s Commissioners on the Commission knows what is right, the other members are always wrong on every count. This tells the story of the PPP’s “One Guyana”. The Chair has the freedom, independence and resources at her disposal to fix the ills of GECOM, by putting the best systems in place to ensure free and fair elections in Guyana. An opportunity to make possible far less room for objections to the outcome of any elections in the future.
Why then is there a strong hesitancy for the implementation of biometrics for all eligible voters, for house-to-house registration, for a new list, for a rigorous educational campaign from GECOM to be done months before an election to inform and educate all who are to be involved, of the process to participate and penalties one can face for any illegal acts. The Chair and PPP Commissioners have done nothing to engender confidence in the public that can be tangibly identified as an improvement of Guyana’s electoral architecture from the 2020 experience. In fact, the Chair and the PPP have voted against all proposed measures to improve the system, be it a new list or the review of the 2020 elections. Isn’t it therefore a justifiable call for her to go? Yes it is!
Editor, why is the Chair afraid to use her powers to better serve the Commission and more importantly, the people of this country? We need to know exactly why she continues to vote down all transformative proposals made to improve a flawed system. One just had to use the flood implementation exercise in Regions 6, 5 and 2, when supposed recipients turned up with multiple national identification cards (issued since 2009) to collect their cheques but used whichever one correlated with the Ministry of Agriculture’s data. This is what the Chair is protecting when she votes against house-to-house registration, when she does nothing to improve the electoral system of the country. Editor, Article 162 of the Constitution specifically says that GECOM is in charge and has the power to exercise general discretion and supervision over the registration of electors.
The question again is, why is the Chair failing in her duty to act in the best interest of the people and country when the ball is in her court? The time to act is now, Judge Singh, for you will be judged, one way or the other. Let your actions and judgement be on the side of the people, on the right side of history. This should not be about what the government or a party wants, this is about Guyana. Madam Chair, you need to fix the broken GECOM that you admitted is flawed. Guyana and its people deserve a clean voters list and to ensure that the true will of the people is the end result of a process that is free, fair and just. Why would the Chair condone an election held with a bloated list but hope that the elections shall be deemed credible? The time has come, the time is now, for the Chair of GECOM to pack her bags and go, she has failed the people and continues to so do.
Sincerely,
Jermaine Figueira MP
