AFC dissatisfied with preparations for next elections, says voter manipulation possible

Ahead of the constitutionally due 2025 General and Regional Elections, the Alliance for Change (AFC) is signalling its dissatisfaction with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and raising serious questions about the body’s readiness to deliver free, fair and credible elections.

In a statement read by Executive Member Beverly Alert the party makes known with critical review of the process it is becoming more evident there is a lack of effort to fix weaknesses in the electoral system.

Alert says the party has received reports that visits to verify the address of an elector is not always being done and such reports are coming mainly from hinterland communities. While the party acknowledges residency is not a requirement to be on the voters list, it is contending the present system presents opportunity for voter manipulation.

Voter manipulation possible

Based on the Election Laws (Amendment) Act 2000, the Elections Commission had  adopted a process where visits were made to the address given by an elector to verify that indeed, the elector was a resident of the electoral district. This process is no longer being carried out in many districts. Whether it is the cost for the Returning Officer to make such visits, or a change in its operations, GECOM has not made any public pronouncements.

Making the case, the AFC cities the 2020 Elections result for Region # 8 that showed the difference between the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition was less than 100 votes.

Alert counsels that in Region # 8, under the hybrid system of First-Past-The-Post and Geographical Representation, provides one seat in the National Assembly to the party that gets the most regional votes.

If a party arranges the transfer of 100 persons from Region # 6 for instance, to Region #8, then it is it likely for that party to win the Regional seat, AFC posits.  The party further contends that one seat could give the party control of the House –  through the manipulation of the voters list.

Zeroing in on the gravity of the situation, the executive member informs “For Region # 8, the residents there would have a Regional Council elected by persons who do not live in the region and have no interest in what goes on there. The same would happen in the township of Mahdia at Local Government Elections.”

The party expresses concern GECOM has ignored repeated recommendations to improve the electoral system, making known it has written the Commission seeking a meeting and is awaiting a reply.

In this day and age, GECOM is still holding on to a system of paper verification of an elector, and not seeking to use biometric identification, bemoans Alert.

List of Electors 

The AFC points out the present List of Electors is close to the full population of Guyana, pointing out that the list in its present form could not deliver free, fair and credible elections. “Clearly, GECOM is failing in its duty to prepare for credible elections. Elections must not only be free and fair but, it must also be credible.”

There is also the matter of citizens of Commonwealth nations who may be considered domiciled in Guyana. With the influx of foreigners working in the oil sector, AFC questions whether they should be eligible for inclusion on the Original List of Electors (OLE). This matter is engaging the attention of the AFC.

As this present time, the AFC is not satisfied with preparations for the next elections. There are too many weaknesses in the system, the party warns and chides GECOM for not making public any recommendations on how these can be addressed.

Calling on GECOM Chairperson Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh to  bother herself with the existing situation and say what needs to be done to ensure a credible electoral process, the AFC warns  that any post elections unrest would be the result of GECOM’s failure.

Every Observer Mission, local and foreign, at the 2020 General and Regional Elections drew attention to the bloated electoral list and made several recommendations to correct the problem, enhance the integrity of GECOM and citizens’ confidence elections can be free, fair and credible elections.