The Alliance For Change- (AFC) continues to be gravely concerned that as Guyana rapidly approaches the 2025 elections, the Guyana Elections Commission appears uninterested in implementing the key recommendations of the international observer missions which included the Carter Centre, the Organisation of American States – the OAS, the European Union (EU), the Commonwealth to name a few as outlined in their final reports.
These fundamental recommendations were well articulated at the time and recommended to ensure that the challenges and errors of the 2020 elections debacle would not be repeated . That with improvements in the systems at GECOM Guyanese citizens would be confident in the organisation’s ability to deliver free and fair elections to the people of Guyana.
It is important to recall some of these recommendations:
The OAS, Carter Centre, and EU observer missions all called for a comprehensive reform of the voter registration system. The undertaking of a house-to-house registration process at the earliest opportunity on completion of the 2020 election and
a thorough update of the decades old voters register well ahead of the next election cycle based on inclusive consultations and political consensus. This has not been done.
The Commonwealth and EU went further to highlight the urgent need for electoral and constitutional reform to address polarization of the nation including the merits and demerits of the Elections Commission and the electoral system.
The OAS, Carter Centre and European Union all highlighted the importance of the use of technology to ensure timely release and publication of results and the need for clear
written procedures for the transmission and tabulation of results to ensure consistency and traceability and the possibility for all authorised stakeholders to examine SOP’s.
Objections to the use of private residents as polling stations, the need for campaign finance regulation, regular engagement by Gecom with stakeholders, technology to assist in the identification of persons at the place of poll were all recommendations that GECOM to date has not informed this nation that they have examined at all. This was clearly highlighted at the meeting the AFC’s requested with GECOM – its Chair and Commissioners.
A week ago the Alliance For Change met with representatives from the EU elections Exploratory mission who confirmed that out of their 26 recommendations only two have been implemented five years later. The Alliance For Change has heard nothing from GECOM since our meeting with regards to the several concerns raised and continues to raise the alarm that GECOM seems ready to go forward to the 2025 elections which much of the previous errors and challenges unresolved.
