Leaders must continue engagements in relation to reforming GECOM

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor,

The nation awaits the response from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) in relation to the findings of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) verification of Statements of Polls for last year’s general and regional elections. In the first place, APNU should not have had the cause to engage in such an undertaking as this causes unnecessary distractions to the society.

By now we should have been engaged in helping the authorities fix the problems in society, not dealing with the conduct of an election that went five months ago.

The APNU released its findings following the verification of the SoPs, saying there were instances of malpractice, misconduct, illegibility of documents and forgery. The party also questioned the integrity of the results declared and gazetted by GECOM. Whatever the case may be, every effort must be made by GECOM to satisfy the stakeholders that the organisation’s management of the last elections was done in a manner that is above reproach.

To say that GECOM will ‘extensively consider’ the findings is not enough, considering the fact that huge sums of monies are being allocated to the body to carry out its constitutional mandate in the country. We are heading to local government elections hopefully soon; and it would be wise for the authorities to revisit the issue of reforming GECOM before these polls are held.

I have always advocated that elections need to be managed by technocrats, not politicians. Also, I have said before that the Carter formula has served its purpose well, as it paved the way for the country’s first free and fair election in twenty eight years and the subsequent return of democracy. It is now time we move from that stage.

Electoral management is a very complex process and requires the most competent and credible persons to undertake such a task. I trust that the president and the leader of the opposition will continue their engagements on this issue and work with other key stakeholders in charting a way forward for future elections management in Guyana.

 

Yours sincerely,

H Hacket

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