Saturday, September 23, 2023
Village Voice News
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Village Voice News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Opposition calls for comprehensive electoral reform through “genuine” consultation 

Staff Reporter by Staff Reporter
May 18, 2022
in News
Opposition Member of Parliament, Geeta Chandan-Edmond

Opposition Member of Parliament, Geeta Chandan-Edmond

0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice.

A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Member of Parliament, Geeta Chandan-Edmond said Guyana requires urgent and comprehensive Electoral Reform that would allow only eligible persons to be registered, the provision of credible results and an overall electoral system – from registration to the declaration of results – that would win the trust and confidence of the public, political parties and other stakeholders.

“Tinkering will not work. Disjointed changes will not work. Bad faith will not work,” MP Chandan-Edmond said during a press conference hosted by the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, on Tuesday (May 17).

READ ALSO

Addiction – a major concern in Guyana – Part II

Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife charged with bribery

She submitted that thus far, the nation has rejected the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s proposed amendments to the Representation of the People Act and its consultations on Electoral Reform.

“This rejection is informed by the fact that the PPP’s approach is piecemeal, deceitful, and self-serving. As such, the PPP totally fails to address key systemic and structural flaws and weaknesses in our electoral system.

Advertisement

It totally avoids any consideration of major constitutional, statutory, administrative, operational, and technological reforms. In fact, the PPP’s approach seems more likely to make free, fair, and uncontested elections in Guyana more elusive,” the Opposition MP contended.

Chandan-Edmond posited that comprehensive electoral reform must rest on four pillars, among which is a thorough review by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) of its performance in managing recent elections.

“The plethora of faults and irregularities (intended and unintended) in the 2020 elections alone must not be brushed under the carpet to resurface again. They must be swept out for good,” she said.

The three opposition-aligned Elections Commissioners – Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman – have also called for a review of the 2020 Elections but the Elections Commission is still to deliberate on the proposal.

Further, Chandan-Edmond underscored the need for national consultations, involving the public, civil society, and the parliamentary political parties.

“These must be modelled after the 1999/2000 Constitution Reform Commission process. In particular, key elements must include: a multi-stakeholder/expert committee, a consensus chairperson, a public call for oral and written submissions, and several national conversations (open forums),” she explained.

The Opposition MP also made a case for the in-depth involvement of experts on electoral laws, electoral systems, elections technologies, and elections management, and further, holistic constitutional and legislative amendments or enactments.

The Opposition, she said, anticipates that electoral reform will require both constitutional and statutory amendments.

“We stand ready to lend parliamentary support to all agreed-to changes. Time is of essence in initiating and completing these reforms to prevent extended postponement of local government elections.

Once the PPP government demonstrates good faith, the financial, human, and other resources can be readily mobilized,” she assured.

She said once all parties put Guyana first, delays can be minimized.

“Guyana deserves no less. So convinced, the APNUAFC intends to formally raise with President Ali that the country needs to urgently undertake comprehensive electoral reform within a genuine national consultation process,” she said.



Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice



ShareTweetSendShareSend

Related Posts

Google photo credit
Feature

Addiction – a major concern in Guyana – Part II

by Admin
September 23, 2023

By Mark DaCosta-Generally, Guyanese know what is addiction even though experts such as psychologists do not have a universally accepted...

Read more
Global

Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife charged with bribery

by Admin
September 23, 2023

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife were indicted in New York on federal bribery charges for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in...

Read more
President of the Guyana Olympic Association, Mr. Godfrey Munroe
News

Olympic Association hosting Sports Medicine Workshop today

by Admin
September 23, 2023

The President and Executive Committee of the Guyana Olympic Association is hosting a Sports Medicine Workshop today, 23rd September, 2023, ...

Read more
Next Post
President Irfaan Ali meeting with Leader of the Opposition at the Office of the President on April 13. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall and APNU+AFC MP, Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde were also present 

Information provided ahead of ‘consultation with President Ali was ‘vague’- Opposition 

EDITOR'S PICK

Are we drifting towards an oligarchy and is Ms. DeCaires not correct

February 13, 2022

Is Lincoln Lewis anti-union

February 20, 2022

Know Your Rights under the Termination and Severance Pay Act- Part II of 3

September 5, 2021
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd joined Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett to cast Guyana's vote for elections of the non-permanent members.

Opposition lauds Guyana’s election to UN-Security Council, reminds nation PNC Gov’t did it first

June 8, 2023

© 2022 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • Future Notes
    • Blackout
    • From The Desk of Roysdale Forde SC
    • Diplomatic Speak
    • Mark’s Take
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • The Herbal Section
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Book Review 
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us

© 2022 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency