Georgetown, Guyana

For immediate release to all media houses.

The Alliance For Change takes note that the Guyana Elections Commission has finally

been able to identify a new Chief Elections Officer in the person of Mr. Vishnu Persaud.

We thank the Commission for reaching a decision and appreciate that the task must have

been arduous, and the process, divisive.

At the end of the day, a decision had to be made so that we can start the process of

rebuilding trust and confidence in the electoral system and Guyana’s democracy.

As a prerequisite to rebuilding the credibility of the system, we must have a new Voters

List -­ purged of all the contaminants of the past, and then, go on to hold Local Government

Elections that are truly representative of the wishes of the people.

Mr. Persaud has a long and difficult road ahead and we trust that he has the “right stuff”

to lead a team that can deliver free, fair and acceptable elections whenever required by

law. It goes without saying that whoever had been chosen in this position would have

received the approbation of half of the population and the suspicion and possible rejection

of the other half. That this is so, is a sorry and painful reflection of the poor state of our

democracy and pointedly proclaims that the appointment alone of a Chief Elections

Officer, in and of itself, cannot and will not strengthen our weak and threatened

democracy.

Much more has to be done by leaders, political parties, GECOM, civil society, citizens

and our development partners, acting in concert, if we are to survive and become a united

nation. The AFC commits to doing all in its power to bring about the cohesion, respect

and trust that is needed at this time.

END.

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