While warning that the ongoing national house-to-house registration exercise “threatens peace and stability,” the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) yesterday said it would not accept any voters’ lists generated by the activity.
In a press statement, the party said its leadership met yesterday and decided that to participate in the registration exercise, which is currently being undertaken by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), would amount to complicity in “aiding and abetting” in the violation of the rulings of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on June 18th and its consequential orders of July 12th, which upheld the Constitution.
It noted that the CCJ upheld the validity of the No-Confidence Motion passed against the government on December 21st, 2018 and declared that Article 106 (6) and (7) became engaged as a result. The article requires that the President and Cabinet must resign, and, elections must be held within three months unless an extension is granted by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly.
The party further noted that the CCJ declared that GECOM has a responsibility to conduct the election and GECOM must abide by the provisions of the Constitution.
“The PPP, therefore, shall not participate in this illegal unilateral activity by the Chief Election Officer which threatens peace and stability in the country and undermines constitutional rule,” the party said, while charging that the Chief Election Officer has embarked on the registration exercise in defiance of the CCJ.
Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield has, however, said that the decision to start the registration was based on directions from GECOM that date back to February and that the ensuing order, dated June 11th, remained valid.
The PPP said Lowenfield must be stopped and an approach to the court to secure an injunction to stop the registration exercise was one stage of the “struggle to ensure that constitutional rule is preserved.”
The party further suggested that the registration exercise is intended to deliberately de-register thousands of Guyanese voters, delay elections and to facilitate the APNU+AFC government remaining in office illegally.
“The PPP gives notice that it will, therefore, not accept any voters’ lists generated by this illegal exercise,” it added, while saying that it remains resolute in its position that the illegal house-to-house registration must be stopped and that a claims and objection period must commence as GECOM must immediately start preparations for general and regional elections in compliance with Article 106 (7) of the Constitution and the CCJ’s rulings and consequential orders.
“The People’s Progressive Party urges Guyanese not to support this illegal exercise and calls on all political parties, civil society and other stakeholders, including the international community, to condemn this unconstitutional act,” it added.
