Georgetown – The three Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP)-backed elections commissioners last Sunday called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to withdraw advertisements for staff to conduct house-to-house registration.
The commissioners – Bibi Shadick, Robeson Benn and Sase Gunraj – insisted that the seven-member Commission never voted to conduct house-to-house registration. “The Commission has not taken a decision to commence House to House Registration and as a consequence, these advertisements are perplexing, at best,” they said.
The advertisements are for the the positions of Assistant Registration Officer and Enumerator, both of which are temporary positions “for house-to-house registration”. The deadline for submitting applications is March 15, 2019.
Instead, the trio grasped the opportunity to reiterate that GECOM should instead begin preparations to hold general and regional elections this year. “In light of the foregoing, we call on the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission to immediately withdraw the advertisements and with similar immediacy, commence the preparation for the conduct of elections in the manner and time specified by law,” the commissioners said.
Deeming GECOM’s decision to go ahead with house-to-house registration a “flagrant disregard” for its constitutional mandate, the PPP-backed commissioners expressed “great concern” about the placement of the advertisements in the newspapers on March 3, 2019.
Shadick, Benn and Gunraj lamented GECOM’s refusal to prepare for general and regional elections, despite the National Assembly’s approval of a no-confidence motion on December 21, 2018. Guyana’s constitution states that elections must be held within three months of the passage of the motion, but the PPP has accused GECOM of conspiring with the government not to prepare for the polls from December 22, 2018.
“Despite our repeated requests, both within the Commission and publicly, for the Secretariat to commence preparations for the conduct of elections, no step has been taken in this regard. Instead, one excuse after the other has been proffered as for the delay on such commencement. The latest excuse of funding is, in our opinion, a contrived attempt to cause further delay,” the commissioners said.
They maintained that house-to-house registration was unnecessary at this time because “there are several legally prescribed processes for the revision of the electoral roll to enable the conduct of elections.”
“These processes ought to be utilized in light of the constitutionally mandated timeline for the holding of the elections aforesaid,” they said.
President David Granger’s invitation to meet with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo today (March 6) to discuss an extension of the life of Parliament has met with a response from the Opposition Leader that he will meet on the condition that a date be set for elections to be held before the expiration of the validity of the present voters list on April 30, 2019 and that the awarding of contracts by the state cease after March 21, 2019; these, among other demands would limit the government’s ability to abuse its authority.
Harris made the call following an announcement by National Security Minister Stuart Young on an amnesty plan for Venezuelans already present in the country to register legally and possibly work for a year.
Harris agreed with the government’s declaration, saying Trinidad and Tobago needed to set up a database for Venezuelans. Once registered, Harris said Venezuelans should be allowed to work, pay taxes, and be entitled to social services.
Said Harris: “If there was a famine in Trinidad and Venezuela or one of the countries which had (food) and we had nothing, we would be very happy to get help.”
Harris admitted the influx was worrisome, as some arriving Venezuelans may have criminal intentions, and others may steal due to hunger.
