Georgetown, Guyana.

August 26, 2022

For immediate release to all media houses.

PRESS STATEMENTS FROM PRESS CONFERENCE

AFC statement on Charging of Sgt. Bascom – Khemraj Ramjattan. M.P., Leader
The recent damning allegations of Sgt Bascom into the circumstances of the Fagundes murder investigation has shattered the public’s confidence in the Guyana Police Force and the Government. This descent of confidence comes so soon after the woeful conduct by its members in an exercise which led to the killing of Orin Boston and an attempted botched enquiry to avoid culpability by one of its members. And via the corruption allegations of Su against the VP Jagdeo.

The conduct of the High Command of the GPF in bashing the Sgt’s revelations before any trustworthy investigation, is shameless. They should just shut up!

And to go the gamut of nailing him to the cross with charges and an intended prosecution after seeking the advice of the DPP will only add to a national distress. The only thing that will be accomplished, if this is how it is pursued, is a radicalization of an entire affected nation against that very Police Force which ought to rescue it, which ought to serve and protect it.

Proper leadership, when incidents like these emerge, must see moral and ethical conduct emanating from those who the allegations and revelations are directed at. The High Command of every institution must live the examined life and suffer the processes of accountability. They certainly are not above the law.

The experience of this High Command must know that in these circumstances the safety and security of Sgt Basom is top priority and must be provided for. Not a criminal prosecution! It will be to the GPF benefit and a regained confidence if everything is done to prevent what happened to the Bacchus brothers in an earlier troubled times. The facts are not dissimilar.

The AFC urges that a thorough credible investigation be completed and with the Sgt in a safe place without any penalising prosecution dangling over him. Too much is at risk for an already suspect Guyana Police Force.

Electoral Reform and GECOM issues – Cathy Hughes, M.P., Chair

The Alliance For Change has noted with grave consternation comments by Guyana’s Vice President regarding arrangements for the holding of Local Government elections possibly later this year. We wish to inform the Vice President that he cannot speak for GECOM or all the people of Guyana on these matters.

The AFC, like several international observers and civil society organisations including the Carter Centre, European Union, the OAS and Caricom, who have all monitored election processes in Guyana over the last decade, have unanimously stated that a house-to-house registration process that will produce to a new voters list is a fundamental requirement to electoral reform in Guyana.

In fact, The OAS recommended in 2020 and I quote “undertaking a house-to-house registration exercise at the earliest opportunity upon completion of the election and periodically thereafter”.

Caricom stated emphatically in their report, I quote “As a minimum condition for electoral reform, the team recommends the urgent need for a total re-registration of all voters in Guyana. It is clear that given the state of the voter registration of the country that Guyana was not adequately prepared for the 2020 poll.”….”It therefore behooves the Commission to create a new voters registry especially given the suspicion that the 2020 register was bloated, a suspicion which is not without merit.” End quote.

It is interesting to recall that even the Vice President an assumed PPP spokesman, after the 2015 elections is recorded advocating for a new voters list, in fact these were his party’s demands in October 2015:

1. Enhanced biometrics
2. Electronic voting
3. Bringing the GECOM Secretariat under the purview of the Commission to enable the Commission to give the Secretariat general orders and directions.
4. Recruitment of GECOM’s key election officials such as Returning Officers and Presiding Officers and Poll Clerks through improved transparent and impartial processes.
5. A new voters’ list to be compiled on the basis of a fresh house to house enumeration.
6. Review the process that allows for voting by the Disciplined Services.
7. Amend the relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act to allow for the enactment of appropriate legislation to facilitate implementation of agreed reforms.
8. Selection of a new Chairman of GECOM.

But today, he sings another tune.

The AFC notes most importantly that a new voters list is the demand of most Guyanese and the recent IRI poll which informed us that 81% of Guyanese feel that such electoral reforms are necessary is testimony to the magnitude of the problem. We must recall that that a new registration process was in the original workplans for GECOM for 2019.

With most citizens accepting that Guyana’s current voters list is bloated, the AFC considers it wholly unreasonable that GECOM would announce a period of Claims – August 22 to September 11 and Objections – August 22 to September 18 – a total of 28 days to scrutinize and cleanse this list of 684,354 which is felt to be almost in excess of 200,000 voters. It is clear that GECOM is not interested in providing a realistic timeframe for proper scrutiny.

Use of Biometrics

The other key issue is the use of biometrics for registration. The AFC notes with alarm that GECOM continues to collect data such as fingerprints in old, outdated methods that go back to the 1900’s. The world has since moved on with the use of improved technology in this area and so must GECOM. The AFC also supports calls for biometrics for purposes of voter identification at the place of poll.

GECOM

As a political party the Alliance for Change continues to be alarmed with GECOM’s inability to execute simple administrative procedures. In June of 2021 the AFC wrote to Gecom requesting the replacement two of our councillors on the Georgetown Mayor and City Council. More than a year later we have followed up with two letters to the current CEO but have not had the courtesy of a response to date or the settlement of this issue.

The Alliance For Change raises these important issues recognizing that the rebuilding of confidence in GECOM – its electoral procedures and ability to deliver free, fair and credible elections that the people can endorse, is a urgent priority all Guyanese stakeholders and must be addressed prior to the holding of any future election.

End.

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