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25TH MARCH 2006
MEDIA RELEASE
PRIVATE SECTOR URGES GECOM TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF CONCERNS OF ALL CONTESTING PARTIES

On 22nd September 2005, in a Press Statement, the Private Sector Commission (PSC), emphasized that “the discord, disruption and violence which characterized past elections must be avoided”. The Commission pointed out that “we clearly cannot continue in this way”. We stressed the importance of recognizing that “the concerns of all political parties are addressed so that the results of the elections will leave no cause for complaint”.

Noting that the major opposition party had begun a picket of the Elections Commission’s Office to express their dissatisfaction with the process of preparing for the elections, the PSC met with the People’s National Congress/REFORM on 21st March 2006. The PNC/REFORM was represented by Mr. Robert Corbin accompanied by the Chairman of the Party, Mr. Winston Murray, the Leader of the REFORM, Mr. Stanley Ming and PNC Executive Member, Mr. Joe Hamilton.

In explaining their position to the PSC, the PNC/REFORM drew attention to the fact that the NATIONAL REGISTRATION (AMENDMENT) ACT 2005 provides that “the Elections Commission shall use the official list of electors from the 2001 general and regional elections as the base to commence continuous registration… Provided that at any stage the Commission may undertake such verification as necessary by a means to be determined by the Commission”.

The PNC/REFORM pointed out that, in order for a national register of Registrants (NRR) to be compiled, which is required by law, using the 2001 Official List of Electors (OLE), the 2001 OLE must first be verified to ensure against multiple registration which may have taken place and be screened to confirm that persons on the List are alive and resident in Guyana.

The PNC/REFORM informed the PSC that the Party had, from the very beginning, agreed to waive the need for a new National Registration, on the condition that the 2001 OLE would be subjected to house-to-house verification so that a new National Register of Electors would be compiled from the verified 2001 List and the 2006 List of New Registrants.

The PNC/REFORM further pointed out that the new NRR would become the legal data base to which continuous registration would be added and from which the Chief Elections Officer would extract and certify the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) for 2006.

The PNC/REFORM told the PSC that the Party would regard any departure from this process as an act of bad faith on the part of GECOM and that the Party was prepared to test their position in court.

The PNC/REFORM complained that GECOM had not to date consulted with the Party nor offered any alternative means of verification of the 2001 OLE. The PNC/REFORM claimed that the Party was being “ignored”. They have, therefore, decided to take political action.

The PSC, in seeking to clarify the PNC/REFORM’s position with regard to the possibility of extending the constitutionally required period for holding the elections, pointed out that a number of conflicting public statements were being made from persons associated with the PNC/REFORM with regard to the governance of the country during such a period.

The Leader of the PNC/REFORM, Mr. Robert Corbin, informed the PSC that the Party would have no difficulty in extending the life of the Parliament and Government, should it become necessary, providing that there was a negotiated agreement with respect to the passing of new laws, financial expenditure and guarantees of equal access of the contesting political parties to the state owned and operated media.

Mr. Corbin emphasized that the PNC/REFORM remain open to discussion with GECOM, the Governing Party and the Donor Community on all of these matters.

The PSC wish to re-emphasize the need for GECOM to fully take account of the concerns of all of the contesting parties with regard to the production of an acceptable voters list and that the interest of the people of Guyana and the nation as a whole must be put first in ensuring that the electoral process be acceptable to and have the confidence and trust of all of the participants.