The opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic has once again called on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to begin preparation for elections now.
While accusing the commission of relegating the various judicial rulings to “secondary” considerations the party has reminded that National Identification Cards are not necessary for elections.
“Talk about the production of re-designed national identification cards is wholly unnecessary at this point in time and is designed to delay the Elections,” the party stated in a press release stressing that the history of the matter is well known. “It must be noted that the European Union in its 2001 Observer report said: “In 1998 Esther Pereira, a PNC supporter, petitioned the High Court to set aside the results of the 1997 (elections)…Justice Claudette Singh found that the requirement for voters to have a voter ID card in 1997 was ultra vires Articles 59 and 159 of the Constitution (despite a parliamentary agreement to use the cards). Consequently the elections were therefore null and void.” the party explained noting that a national identification card is not necessary to vote, since other means of identification can be used.
Additionally the PPP/C has reiterated its criticism of the proposed merger of the recent controversial House to House data with the National Register of Registrants Database (NRRD).
“The data garnered from the now scrapped house-to-house registration must not be used to contaminate the National Register of Registrants; a Preliminary List of Electors must be produced by GECOM; and there should be a move to Claims and Objections, which is a time-tested method, to allow for persons who are first time voters to be registered, among other transactions,” they stress.
The party which boycotted the HtH exercise is now claiming that the data from the process is “probably padded”.
They have declared that proposed process of cross-matching of fingerprints of the 370,822 persons GECOM registered during the registration as a time-consuming and costly exercise the objective of which could easily be done otherwise.
“It will not identify where padding occurs. Cross- matching of fingerprints will only ascertain where there are cases of duplicates. And in any case cross-matching of the fingerprints will have to be done upon the completion of the Claims and Objections period,” the party stated.
The party declared that the Guyanese people have a constitutional right that must be respected. Our Constitution must be respected. Our democratic standing cannot be diminished therefore elections preparations must commence now. ”
