The Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton rebutted the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) statement issued yesterday which sought to clarify remarks he made on Sunday on the possibility of ineligible foreign voters at the upcoming elections.
The controversy stems from Norton’s speech at a public meeting in Calcutta, Burma Road, Mahaicony where he said “We need a clean voters’ list because if you give all of them ID card, who is illegal and who isn’t illegal, it means when you put it up, it will show as them but they really aren’t qualified to be on the list, so we want a clean voter’s list in which only the people who are entitled to vote are placed on that list and we will fight for it…” He went on to say “there is no need to be going to Bangladesh to bring drivers, what they are really bringing is people to vote. But let we tell them, when we put we polling officers, in de poling station and they can’t talk proper English, you must know that a lot of the children who returned from Venezuela of Guyanese descent can speak English, also we will know that, but this government’s plot is to bring people into this country to use them to vote because they recognized they are not popular, we will not accept that.”
GECOM released a statement yesterday adverting to Norton’s remarks as carried by Demerara Waves. GECOM asserted that all eligible voters must meet the criteria set forth in the National Registration Act, which outlines the legal requirements for voter registration. The Commission also refuted Norton’s assertion that foreign nationals could easily register to vote, clarifying that scrutineers from the PNCR, as well as from other political parties, are involved in the registration process and have the ability to verify applications.
Interpreter
Moreover, GECOM highlighted that Section 72(10) of the Representation of the People Act allows for voters who do not understand English to request an interpreter, further stressing that political party agents do not have the authority to block registered voters from casting their ballots.
Despite GECOM’s clarifications, Norton stood firm in his position. Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday, Norton reaffirmed his comments, insisting that the election process was vulnerable to manipulation due to gaps in the registration system. He accused the government of “removing the guardrails” that once ensured only legitimate voters were registered.
“I stand by what I said,” Norton remarked. “They have removed the guard rails which ensured only people who should be registered register, now anybody can sign and say they know this person and go register. The whole point I made is that many of these people aren’t even Guyanese. A lot of them are Venezuelans who grew up in Venezuela in households where English and Spanish are spoken, so they are not entitled to vote in Guyana,” he continued.
“I made the point also, they are bringing people (from) Bangladesh, padding the list, rather than help the labour shortage”. He also alluded to the possibility of political operatives “padding the voter list,” particularly in constituencies with large migrant populations, to boost support for the ruling government.
“The law they are citing about language barriers only reinforces my point,” Norton said. “They will bring in these individuals, place them in strongholds, and use them to pad the list and bolster their base. I have no apologies to make; our agents will be vigilant to ensure that only those entitled to vote, actually vote”, he asserted.
GECOM expressed concern that such statements could incite fear and confusion among voters, potentially disrupting the election process. The Commission emphasized that its primary role is to manage the elections in accordance with the law, and that no political party or agent has the authority to interfere with voters once they are properly registered.
The GECOM statement also warned that election officials or security personnel who attempt to obstruct or intimidate voters could face prosecution under election laws.
