As the Guyana Press Association (GPA) prepares for elections on Sunday, presidential contender Neil Marks is disappointed that it has not made the list of eligible voters available.
However, the GPA said that list will be made public by the returning officer Attorney-at-Law Ronald Burch-Smith tomorrow, to preserve the confidentiality of members who requested this.
The GPA has assured that all eligible members will be allowed to vote, in accordance with the body’s Constitution and that every effort has been made to ensure the elections will be free, fair and transparent.
In a notice posted in the Department of Public Information’s WhatsApp Group chat, a petition was signed by some editors requesting the GPA to make the list public. They said they had serious concerns regarding the upcoming annual general meeting, particularly about membership and the voters’ list.
“In the interest of transparency and accountability; to ensure the integrity of the GPA; and to eliminate any concerns about the credibility of the list of voters, we call on the GPA executives… to release immediately the list of all members eligible to vote at the elections on May 14, 2023,” the petition stated.
The editors who signed the petition were from the state-owned Guyana Chronicle and National Communications Network; Times Media Group’s TVG News, Inews and Guyana Times; News Room Guyana; MTV News Update; LRTV (Berbice) Info10 (Linden) and Guyana Standard. The group said that the petition was sent to the GPA via email.
The GPA in the statement released yesterday said it had reaffirmed the eligibility of 110 members who are eligible to vote at the annual general meeting (AGM).
At the GPA’s AGM, when elections for office bearers are held, nomination occurs. A person can only contest for an office-bearing position if nominated and that nomination is seconded.
Marks, in an invited comment yesterday said he was “very disappointed” at the approach taken by the executive to not release the list. He added that the petitioning editors represent “scores” of media workers, “who are demanding to see the list because there are concerns that many media workers were left off, while those who the executive feels will vote for them were approved for membership.”
He questioned the rationale behind three members of the executive body making the decision. The GPA executive consists of eight members, but in the life of the current team, four members had resigned as they moved to different organisations. Incumbent President Nazima Raghubir, the GPA said, had recused herself from the discussions on the voters’ list.
Marks said that he had independently written to the executive requesting the list but received no direct response.
Meanwhile, when contacted yesterday, Raghubir referred to the statement issued by the executive.
She stated that tomorrow, members will have the opportunity to address matters in their interest on the floor, where they will be allowed to vent and raise all issues affecting them. She noted that she too had not seen the list of voters having recused herself from the discussions and finalisation of the list.
Raghubir stated that while she has seen libellous statements directed toward her credibility and character, many of which were borderline insults, she would not address them in the public domain.
According to the association, its elections were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant restrictions, but registration and renewal were always open throughout that period.
