Dear Editor,
As I recently penned, I urged compromise in the appointment of a Chair for Gecom since both sides (PPP and PNCR) want a Chair sympathetic to one over the other. Lo and behold there was a compromise and a Retired judge, Claudette Singh, has been sworn in as Gecom Chair. Now, we need a compromise on the date for elections.
The PNCR-led coalition has been championing house-to-house registration for preparation of a new voters list. The exercise has begun without opposition participation or approval of Gecom post CCJ rulings June 18 and July 12. House-to-house registration will take months. The Gecom lawyer told the CCJ it needed up to the ending of December to conduct house-to-house registration. Then there will be a period of claims and objections taking another couple of months. Then finalization of a voters list will take another month. The process can drag on till May 2020 delaying elections till then if not later. The latest word from the Chief Election Officer is that house-to-house registration can be completed in a couple months and a new voters’ list ready. The opposition PPP wants elections before September 18 as per the constitution and the ruling of the CCJ believing it can unseat the coalition now; that may not be the case as conversations with Guyanese revealed
In conversations, the political and business elites are of the view that the coalition is using house-to- house registration as a ruse to delay the election. The elites say that the coalition feels it will be better prepared for a winning strategy if the election is put off by a few months. The coalition has a better chance now because it is united and its base is behind it. The PPP feels it is in an ideal position to win now although there is division in the camp. The PPP needs some time to gather its forces together and for political healing and reconciliation from the fallout following internal elections. Meanwhile, the opposition minor parties need time to gather their forces and to raise resources for an election. Any defection from the two dominant parties will go towards the minor parties. The later the elections, the more beneficial to the minor parties. So a delay in the elections is really helping the opposition and decreasing the chance of the coalition.
But an election before September 18 is impractical because Gecom has to meet and decide whether the list is ready. This meeting is not expected till next week. Then the President has to give a month’s notice to the nation that elections will be held. There also has to be a period for claims and objections of names on (or not on) the list. The entire process requires at least two months. This takes us into Octo-ber. So while the CCJ orders elections and urged the parties to follow the constitution, and while it is ideal to follow the constitution, the election is not possible by September 18. It has to be postponed.
At the same time, there is no need for house-to-house registration. The list can be updated. This can be done in a month. And elections can be held late October or shortly thereafter.
Just as the leadership compromised over a Gecom Chair, a compromise is needed from the ruling coalition and the opposition party on a date for elections. Both sides must be prepared to give in a little to make the process work; the CCJ also implored both sides to work together on resolving the issue.
The leadership of both major parties should meet and address the date for the election – parliament reconvening soon with opposition support for a fixed date for election and updating the voters’ list through claims and objections.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
