Public must be given assurance that every effort will be made to hold LGE 2021

Dear Editor,

The PPP/C won freely and fairly two consecutive local elections (LGE’s) held in 2016 and 2018 respectively.

Those two elections were conducted and supervised by GECOM using its extant machinery save for the appointment two years later of additional personnel to key and critical posts to assist in the conduct of the 2020 General and Regional elections;

The two previous LGE’s were deemed to be free and fair, allegations of rigging or foul play in favour of one party or another were never raised nor heard publicly.

Notwithstanding its good track record as regards its performance at the local government level, PPP/C nevertheless came under sustained and heavy criticism for not holding of LGE notwithstanding bipartisan support for postponement express-ed in the National Assembly.

Opposition Leader Harmon and Party leader Granger have both sounded public warnings about actions the APNU+AFC  intends to take if LGE 2021 is not held as provided for by the Constitution of Guyana.

The significance of these statements remind us once again of the nature of the beast the nation has to deal with. Some say coming events cast their shadow but that shadow was cast, long and grey for five long months over the nation earlier this year. Many have declared their reluctance to go back there.

That aside, an argument has been made in the on-going debate that the holding of LGE 2021 should not centre around what the APNU+AFC wants or does not want. On the contrary, the debate they claim should be about:

The legal and constitutional requirement that must be honoured;

2)  The readiness of GECOM to proceed with preparations for LGE 2021;

3) Whether a petition concerning a general and regional election can legally prevent the holding of a LGE;

4) Whether a new voters’ list is required for LGE 2021;

5) Whether police investigations about the conduct of certain employees at GECOM at the last general and regional elections can legally prevent LGE 2021 from being held;

While the infamous five-month interregnum did throw up questions about the professionalism of certain key employees at GECOM, the GECOM machinery was not condemned in its entirety. Throwing out the baby with the bath water did not appear to be a preferred option by any of the contesting parties or members of GECOM.

From all indications, the PPP/C still has public opinion and the international community on its side. In the circumstances, a call has been made for immediate steps be taken to professionalize, in a transparent way GECOM’s election machinery now. And that this should be restricted solely for the purpose of holding of LGE 2021. Guyanese election watchers have argued that the more profound reforms in respect to General and Regional elections 2025 can come later.

With negotiated support, GECOM should be encouraged to take administrative steps to send off, at least temporarily, those who have been charged and placed before the Court (but recognizing the hallowed principle of innocent until proven guilty). Their employment at GECOM should be put on hold so long as the charges against them remain in place.

As for those who are still embedded in the system and are currently being investigated by the police, they can be directed to proceed on leave or be paid off as per GECOM’s contractual obligations to them.

Such persons can be replaced by temporarily appointing competent persons either from within the system or others (RO’s or DRO’s or even PO’s) who conducted themselves professionally during the re-count at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Now that the PPP/C is in government, it has unfettered authority to bring in experienced international election experts who, once approval is granted by GECOM, can provide that high degree of comfort level for the ‘Doubting Thomases’

The public must be given the assurance that every effort will be made to hold LGE 2021 the challenges notwithstanding. In any event, a motion calling for postponement of LGE will have to find its way to parliament in order for a postponement to be legally endorsed.

Once the motion is passed, assumingly without the opposition’s support, it will rekindle the perception still fresh in the minds of the populace that the nation is embarking on the road it once traversed prior to 2015.

Support from the international community to have LGE postponed should not be taken for granted. Further, support for free and fair general and regional elections should not be confused with support for not holding LGE.

There were no complaints about the freeness and fairness of previous LGE’s. However, it now appears that there are general concerns and justifiably so about the holding of elections period! But the point is that the then opposition is now in government and the tools are now at its disposal to hold free and fair LGE 2021.

In any event , it is highly unlikely that LGE held under the direction and supervision of a retrofitted GECOM machinery would deliver a botched LGE 2021 given the recent antecedents.

Assuming that the demand for fresh house-to-house registration for a new electoral list becomes the reason for postponement then blame for postponing LGE 2021 should be placed at the doorstep of the APNU+AFC.

Yours faithfully,

Clement J. Rohee