The Alliance For Change (AFC), in a statement issued on Sunday, confirmed that it will not contest the upcoming Local Government Elections unless its demands for a new voters’ list are met.
There have been repeated calls by the APNU+AFC oppostion for a clean voters’ list ahead of next year’s Local Government Elections though the associated concerns have been addressed by members of government, other political parties, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and ruled on by the High Court in a 2019 judgement handed down by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, S.C.
Members of government have described these calls as an attempt to disenfranchise voters, particularly those who live abroad.
But the AFC, which is part of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, still believes that no election should be held with the existing voters’ list.
See below the full statement issued by the AFC:
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Alliance For Change (AFC), after much debate, has arrived at a consensus that the party will not contest the upcoming local government elections (LGE) without changes to the list of electors.
The AFC has concluded that no election should be held on the existing list of electors because it is bloated, illegitimate and a source of electoral fraud, as demonstrated during the publicized national recount. On the face of it, the current list contains the names of the deceased, migrated and duplicates.
It is manifest that our electoral system is far from perfect, but we must not wilfully perpetuate a deception on the people of Guyana. During the national election in 2020, there were multiple instances where dead people, the migrated, and a host of other shenanigans interfered with the electoral process. We should not go there again!
The NEC believes that participating in these elections with a list proven deficient and containing widespread discrepancies would perpetrate a fraud on the Guyanese people and undermine our democratic system.
The AFC has already called on the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) to produce a credible voters’ list by conducting a certifiable house-to-house verification and registration process. Accordingly, we would go as far as supporting the postponement of the LGE as was done in 1992 to present a “clean” voters’ list to the electorate.
We have also indicated our acceptance of using biometrics and the necessary electronic equipment to enhance our voting experience and reduce the propensity for impersonation. However, as warned, we will not participate in the upcoming Local Government Elections if these changes are not made to bring legitimacy to our electoral system.
The people of Guyana have a right to feel confident in its electoral system, like the voting public in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, without unnecessary workarounds.
