The 2011 general and regional elections overall reflected the will of the people, but also demonstrated that the electoral system is still vulnerable in ways that makes the democratic choice it affords to the people of Guyana, a fragile and threatened one.
This was the finding of the Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB) report titled “EAB Final 1992-2011 Lessons Learned and Recommendations”.
The EAB’s primary objectives in the 2011 elections were to determine whether the polls conducted were fair and free of interferences that could affect the process. The main focus of the EAB was on whether the results declared by GECOM reflected the will of the people.
According to the report, issues arising from the recent elections are new and some represent a “backsliding” in the demonstrated “commitment of the largest political parties to the basic principles of democracy and respect for citizens of the county”.
The EAB report notes that “there is an urgent need for legislative, educational, and administrative reform if Guyana is to minimise the cycles of instability that characterise elections”. Twenty years later, recommendations for fixing these problems have been repeatedly ignored by GECOM. For the 2011 regional and general elections, the EAB fielded 1481 all-day observers at polling stations across the country, covering 71 per cent of the polling stations.
EAB Chairman Father Malcolm Rodrigues
To give coverage, the EAB fielded 35 relief observers, 38 coordinators and assistants that responded to situations arising on Election Day, and some 78 supervisors that provided support to observers and ensured the collection of reports and SOPs.
The analysis of EAB’s observers report focused on identifying and categorising procedural irregularities or incidents that either affected or did not affect the polls.
According to another report from the EAB titled “EAB Final Report on Conduct of Polls 2011”, there were instances of irregularities at polling stations, but it was an isolated occurrence or was limited in its effects.”
“The EAB firmly believes that the needed electoral reforms have to be acted upon without delay and that the process cannot be spearheaded by GECOM or political parties as this would constitute a fundamental conflict of interest.”
To begin with, the report on “Lessons Learned and Recommendations”, proposes a “broad-based professional national task force”. This task force will be comprised of adequate representation from civil society, local communities, and political parties.
The professional national task force, the EAB reasons, should be established to coordinate a participatory review of lessons learned on elections in Guyana and to elaborate specifics of legal, administrative, and educational reforms that are needed to create a stable, free, and fair environment for elections, one which puts the electoral process firmly in the hands of the citizenry and outside of narrow political control by political parties.
According to the EAB, voter education is being done in a vacuum when what is really needed is a sustained civic education programme.
The EAB recommended that a group of qualified persons be recruited “to comprehensively evaluate and set out a compulsory civic education component of the formal school curricula at the primary, secondary, tertiary, and vocational levels”.
The Education Ministry should spearhead such an initiative in collaboration with GECOM. Education programmes should not be one-off affairs, but should be ongoing and should address basic issues such as: the basic history of Guyana; education about the state, the organisation of the state system and governance mechanisms; the Constitution; functions and procedures of Parliament; mechanisms for citizens to participate in the decision making; electoral laws, systems and procedures; and the rights and duties of citizens, the report recommends.
Addressing the legal reforms, the report notes that it is essential to ensure that it is the people who govern the conduct of elections and not political parties. At every election since 1997, the EAB has repeatedly pointed out the fundamental conflict of interest with the electoral machinery that is governed by political parties.
“Further, there is an inherent conflict of interest for political parties, the legitimate custodians of the legislative process, to administer the laws they legislate, while simultaneously contesting the elections, which they administer. This conflict helps to explain, for instance, why laws aimed at limiting campaign expenses have never been enforced.”
Critical to legal reforms too are passing legislation to make GECOM an independent civic body that is funded directly by Parliament, together with establishing a political affairs committee with specific terms of references as part of GECOM’s structure.
By Tiffny Rhodius
The 2011 general and regional elections overall reflected the will of the people, but also demonstrated that the electoral system is still vulnerable in ways that makes the democratic choice it affords to the people of Guyana, a fragile and threatened one.This was the finding of the Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB) report titled “EAB Final 1992-2011 Lessons Learned and Recommendations”. The EAB’s primary objectives in the 2011 elections were to determine whether the polls conducted were fair and free of interferences that could affect the process. The main focus of the EAB was on whether the results declared by GECOM reflected the will of the people.According to the report, issues arising from the recent elections are new and some represent a “backsliding” in the demonstrated “commitment of the largest political parties to the basic principles of democracy and respect for citizens of the county”. The EAB report notes that “there is an urgent need for legislative, educational, and administrative reform if Guyana is to minimise the cycles of instability that characterise elections”. Twenty years later, recommendations for fixing these problems have been repeatedly ignored by GECOM. For the 2011 regional and general elections, the EAB fielded 1481 all-day observers at polling stations across the country, covering 71 per cent of the polling stations.To give coverage, the EAB fielded 35 relief observers, 38 coordinators and assistants that responded to situations arising on Election Day, and some 78 supervisors that provided support to observers and ensured the collection of reports and SOPs.The analysis of EAB’s observers report focused on identifying and categorising procedural irregularities or incidents that either affected or did not affect the polls.According to another report from the EAB titled “EAB Final Report on Conduct of Polls 2011”, there were instances of irregularities at polling stations, but it was an isolated occurrence or was limited in its effects.”“The EAB firmly believes that the needed electoral reforms have to be acted upon without delay and that the process cannot be spearheaded by GECOM or political parties as this would constitute a fundamental conflict of interest.” To begin with, the report on “Lessons Learned and Recommendations”, proposes a “broad-based professional national task force”. This task force will be comprised of adequate representation from civil society, local communities, and political parties. The professional national task force, the EAB reasons, should be established to coordinate a participatory review of lessons learned on elections in Guyana and to elaborate specifics of legal, administrative, and educational reforms that are needed to create a stable, free, and fair environment for elections, one which puts the electoral process firmly in the hands of the citizenry and outside of narrow political control by political parties. According to the EAB, voter education is being done in a vacuum when what is really needed is a sustained civic education programme. The EAB recommended that a group of qualified persons be recruited “to comprehensively evaluate and set out a compulsory civic education component of the formal school curricula at the primary, secondary, tertiary, and vocational levels”. The Education Ministry should spearhead such an initiative in collaboration with GECOM. Education programmes should not be one-off affairs, but should be ongoing and should address basic issues such as: the basic history of Guyana; education about the state, the organisation of the state system and governance mechanisms; the Constitution; functions and procedures of Parliament; mechanisms for citizens to participate in the decision making; electoral laws, systems and procedures; and the rights and duties of citizens, the report recommends.Addressing the legal reforms, the report notes that it is essential to ensure that it is the people who govern the conduct of elections and not political parties. At every election since 1997, the EAB has repeatedly pointed out the fundamental conflict of interest with the electoral machinery that is governed by political parties.“Further, there is an inherent conflict of interest for political parties, the legitimate custodians of the legislative process, to administer the laws they legislate, while simultaneously contesting the elections, which they administer. This conflict helps to explain, for instance, why laws aimed at limiting campaign expenses have never been enforced.” Critical to legal reforms too are passing legislation to make GECOM an independent civic body that is funded directly by Parliament, together with establishing a political affairs committee with specific terms of references as part of GECOM’s structure.
