The Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) announced today that it intends to request a meeting with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM t0 discuss, among other things, the creation of a new voters list ahead of the Local Government Elections (LGE) billed for this year.
In a statement, the PNCR expressed concerns that the over $750M allocated to GECOM for LGE preparations does not cater for a new voters list.
“It is the desire of the PNCR to participate in both local government elections and general and regional elections with an accurate voters list that is acceptable to all stakeholders. GECOM must therefore commit to producing a voters list that is clean in time for the next Local Government Elections,’ the Aubrey Norton-led political grouping said.
To this end, the PNCR said it will discuss the issue with its coalition partners and subsequently seek a meeting with GECOM.
“At that meeting, the party will clearly articulate its position on the above demands and will work with all stakeholders to ensure that all the contentions are addressed and resolved, paving the way for credible elections,” the party said.
The $750M for LGE preparations is part of an overall $4.1B allocation to GECOM for this year.
During the consideration of the budget estimates on Monday, Opposition Member Khemraj Ramjattan questioned whether these monies will be spent on a new voters list.
However, Governance Minister Gail Teixeira had explained that “with regards to the question about a new voters’ list, that is not a budgetary issue. That is an issue for the Commission and the Chairman has to make a decision on and if they so desire, then budgetary matters will fall into place.”
GECOM has created a roadmap towards the hosting of LGE this year, Commissioner Sase Gunraj recently revealed.
In December 2021, GECOM’s Chairperson Claudette Singh wrote Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall to confirm that the Electoral Body will be unable to hold Local Government Elections that year.
She had explained that since the Commission was currently without a Chief Elections Officer, who is required by law to manage the conduct of elections in Guyana, the GECOM was “unable” to have the elections held at that point in time.
After a rigorous process however, GECOM has since hired Vishnu Persaud as the new CEO. GECOM still has to fill the posts of Deputy CEO and other senior management staff.
These senior posts within GECOM became vacant after former CEO Keith Lowenfield, his deputy Roxanne Myers and former Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo were fired for attempts to sway the results of the 2020 General and Regional Elections. They are currently before the courts facing electoral fraud charges.
LGE are constitutionally due every two years in Guyana and were last held in 2018. However, given the elections fiasco that played out following the 2020 General and Regional Elections, the local Government polls were deferred to 2021.
At the last LGE in November 2018, the then PPP/C Opposition secured 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs). This followed the holding of the LGE in 2016, during which the PPP/C also claimed the majority of the LAAs.
