With questions raised over the integrity of the PNCR’s Georgetown District Conference polls, prospective candidate for party leader, Dr Richard Van West-Charles has proposed reforms for the conduct of party elections during its upcoming Biennial Congress.
In a letter to PNCR executive Lance Carberry, Dr Van West-Charles outlines a range of reforms, including the secrecy of the ballot, intended to assuage concerns about the need for the party’s internal processes to be more transparent and democratic. “The recent experience with the electoral process in the Georgetown District has clearly underscored the urgency for our Party to take the necessary action to ensure that we embark on a road guided by international best practice [regarding] the holding of any election be it in a political party or any organization for that matter,” he explained in the letter.
The Georgetown Conference resulted in PNCR executive and MP Aubrey Norton losing the Chairmanship of the Georgetown District to party Co-Chair Volda Lawrence in polls that he later described as fraudulent. The party has subsequently dismissed his claims as baseless and intended to bring the party into disrepute, a claim he has also dismissed. The controversy over the District Conference has prompted calls for transparency in the conduct of the party’s internal elections.
In the lead up to the PNCR’s 16th Biennial Congress in August, Van West-Charles said that it was essential for the leadership and general membership to ensure every effort is taken to do the right thing and allow the party to walk with its head high. “Let the membership be empowered through one of the critical elements of empowerment, their right to vote and be counted fairly,” he said.
Among his proposals is for the list of nominees for all positions to be posted at all Party Offices four weeks before the elections. Further, that a list of the number of delegates allocated to each group, classified by region and neighbourhood, must be posted at all Party Offices four weeks before the polls and that any party member shall have a right to request in writing a copy of the list or parts of it.
He has also suggested that any party member shall have the right to object to the number allocated to any group. In this scheme, he recommended that an impartial committee be responsible for processing each objection and the number should be adjusted accordingly.
Also, he proposed that a list of the names of all delegates, classified by group, neighbourhood and region, must be published four weeks prior to the elections. Any member shall have the right to object in writing, he explained, to any name on the delegates list. Again, he added that an impartial committee should review each objection.
According to Van West-Charles a corrected list of delegates should be posted one week before the elections, to which objections could be made.
He has also proposed that voting must be secret, suggesting that members exercise their franchise in booths, one delegate at a time with a photo ID to verify his or her identity. He said there should be twelve boxes and voting should be as per Region and Arms. All counting, he added, should be done in the presence of delegates while candidates should be entitled to nominate two representatives to observe the count.
He emphasised that no candidate should serve on the accreditation committee, suggesting instead that all candidates for the position of party leader be entitled to nominate one representative to the accreditation committee. Additionally, he is arguing that all candidates who have accepted nominations should have no operational relationship to the electoral process. Once the list of persons accepting nominations is available, he said, the Congress Committee must inform all Regional, District and Group Committees that all requests by nominees to speak with their membership must be accommodated.
Meanwhile, he said the printing of ballots must be done by an independent source and no one related to any of the candidates should have any linkage to the process. He added that the ballot must have a single unique identifier.
Van West-Charles also proposed there be an external Returning Officer.
“I do hope that you together with the membership of the Accreditation Committee, the members of the Central Executive and all others you deem relevant to ensuring fairness, justice and transparency would embrace these values and ensure that same would be respected and upheld,” he wrote to Carberry. “A transparent process allows the chips to fall where they may but most important it allows the membership to say it is fair and we proceed in a united way to strengthen our Party and prepare for local government and national elections.”
duh ting called pee n c ent know de word transparency…….
teach it to dem Van boi…u duh man….
PEE N C IS AS TRANSPARENT AS DIS STUPID BIG MARKET GOSSIP TABLOID…EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH
PEOPLE KNOW WHICH BLOG YUH GUN PRINT AND WHICH YOU WILL AXE…
WATCH HOW MUCH BLAG YUH GON PRINT FOR DE SO CALL DEBATE…
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
GO TO GREAT HELL BIG MARKET TABLOID
Wat VWC is suggesting is 2 ard fuh dem to implemenent…de current system is not broken…it only needs a bit of tweeking fuh make de rigging more transparent ehehehehehehe.
seems like SN is using de slow ax mo ax on u blasted blags and it is driving u over de edge. Good going SN….drive he 2 insanity ehehehehehehe.
Nah Swat..me just showin how transparent dis bigmarket paper is…..sum of dem moderata dem got there is nat only bias but warped to some people blag hey….dem does leff certain people blag hanging fuh hours….especially wen it dont suit de big market tabloid people……
use A clear plastic, every one will see through it. that is what you meant of TRANSPARENCY.
I totally agree with you…that is why I blag de way I do now because of that….no mo kanstructive blags from me….only tab loyd blags responses.
What I find laughably ironic about this news atricle is, after reading it thoroughly, I glanced to the section under it that says, “RELATED ARTICLES,” and noticed the second headline: “Norton rejects Van West Charles fraud claims,” (May 15), I clicked it open and read it and had a good laugh, because in it Norton is staunchly defending the PNC against charges of fraud only to find himself a few months later as a victim of fraud committed by the same PNC. Lol! :)
I agree! That is funny!
The allegation of fraud at the last party congress two years ago
and again at the last Georgetown Conference less that a month
ago do required URGENT changes, I’m on board with you on this one Van West. I DON”T agree with you appearing with Mr James McAllister at any speaking venue in Brooklyn New York, their are better persons around Dr Charles.
Please disappear P.N.C. You are irrelevant to Guyana’s future.
Agreed!!!
How kant de disapper wen de r being transparent?
When you disappeaer PHENc please take your close half brother the PPP and both of you disappear as well.
Why is Van West Charles flogging this dead horse. The PNC will keep doing what they are accustomed to. Nothing new here. They just need to play dodo and go extinct.
Attention PNC
Definition:
Transparency, as used in the humanities and Pilatian theories, when used in a social context, implies openness, communication, and accountability. It is a metaphorical extension of the meaning a “transparent” object is one that can be seen through. Transparent procedures include open meetings, financial disclosure statements, the freedom of information legislation, budgetary review, audits, etc.
I can see Mr Van West Charles waiting a long time before Corbin agree to internal electoral reforms. How can a party who only wins by fraudulent elections win in a democratic environment.
Wait on Van West Charles, Wait on.
Mr. West Bank Keep your personal problem to yourself, you suddenly making comments against corbie is wah he do yo? share it with we nah.
Why Van West dis not asked Burnhan to do what he is asking Corbin to do now<
Tell me who would tak back 2 he fadda in law?
Please pncr , Corbi or Vanwestern ,do guyana a big favour and vanish , U have done a lot to desecrate our land & people.
It would be a tainted victory for your supporters if u win the next Election but a disgrace to the nation !
Guyana had enough of u before , they now have to put up with Jagdeo & boys , now u agin want a piece ? No way !!