IDB report on corruption underlines citizens’ concerns about elections shenanigans here

Dear Editor,

The report titled “Wait No More: Citizens, Red Tape, and Digital Government” confirms that corruption under the APNU+AFC government is rampant and second to none in the Caribbean. The finding in the study is not surprising since the smallest child knows that you have to pay a bribe to access government services already financed by tax dollars. However, I am alarmed by the revelation that approximately 15 percent of the respondents from the 2019 Transparency International Survey reported that they paid a bribe for an identity document (ID, voter’s ID, permit) in the Caribbean.

Given the widespread suspicion that foreigners may be registered here, as well as reports that GECOM was unable to verify a significant number of first-time registrants, every decent-minded Guyanese must be concerned as we head to elections next year (see article titled, “GECOM unable to verify over 6,500 first-time registrant”, Stabroek News, December 24, 2019).

To allay fears of fraudulent elections next year, GECOM and all the relevant stakeholders should seriously consider the following measures:

ensure that the list of electors is not padded by disallowing unverified first-time registrants from being included on it;

penalize the officers who were involved in the transactions that resulted in the registration of persons who cannot be found to send a strong signal that electoral fraud will not be tolerated; and

establish systems to ensure that ineligible voters who attempt to participate in the upcoming elections are prevented from doing so and charged for the offence.

Yours faithfully,

(Name and address supplied)