Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 31, 2010 AFC Column, Features / Columnists
By Sheila Holder, MP
The Political will to do the right things is hinged to the People’s will to censure their Government through the ballot. Much of what ails this country stems primarily from the lack of civic will by us, the people, to do what needs to be done; or from the lack of political will by the Administration to do what needs to be done.
For a country to thrive economically, socially and politically, the people would need to be responsive, in a reasoned way, to the actions and failures of their government.
When people fail to do this, but choose instead to vote for their own ‘race’, they contribute generally to their country’s slow developmental progress; and give government officials licence to be corrupt.
As difficult as it might be to acknowledge, the people’s lack of will to censure government through the ballot for their failures, corresponds with the lack of will we frequently see being demonstrated by President Jagdeo’s Administration to do the right things for our country.
Take for instance the need to reform GECOM. Over the last nine years it has been recommended by several elections observer groups that GECOM needs to be reformed. Hereunder are extracts from the Carter Center’s recommendations following the 2006 National Elections and bear in mind that it was President Carter who initially persuaded President Hoyte in 1991 to embrace the reform of GECOM.
I would like you to look at the list, compare them with what obtains in Jamaica, for example, and understand why the reforms are necessary if elections in Guyana are to be seen to be fair, especially since the Office of the President is listed as GECOM’s budgetary office.
Carter Center’s Recommendations for Reforming GECOM
· GECOM should be independent from the government and be accountable to, and receive funding from, the National Assembly. The independence of GECOM from the government’s administration will bolster the commission’s credibility and independence.
The Carter-Price formula for GECOM should be changed to ensure that GECOM is not divided solely along political lines.
· GECOM should be composed of individuals who are solely committed to carrying out a successful and transparent elections process and who have the confidence of political parties; but can also maintain their independence. As noted in the Carter Center’s report on the 2001 elections, “As part of electoral reform efforts, Guyana should give careful consideration to alternative models, possibly reducing or eliminating political party representation and increasing the role of independent members of civil society and professional experts.”
· Gender representation should be ensured in GECOM’s composition.
· Communication among GECOM, the political parties, civil society, and election observers needs to improve.
This can be achieved through the establishment of a liaison office to coordinate communication with political parties, observer groups, and civil society. Such an office would need adequate staffing and funding.
· GECOM’s transparency would be elevated by additional communication with these stakeholders and could easily be achieved through the publication of the minutes of GECOM meetings or a summary of such minutes.
The Composition and Mandate of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ)
The ECJ is comprised of nine members; four independent (one of whom is a woman), four politically appointed members and the Director of Elections who is the Chief Elections Officer (CEO). Of the four politically appointed members, two are nominated by the Prime Minister and two are nominated by the Leader of the Opposition. The Chairman is elected by a majority vote from among the members themselves. All appointments are for a specific duration of four years for the members and seven years for the CEO. Their funds are placed from time to time, at the disposal of the ECJ, directly by the Parliament of Jamaica as the Carter Center has recommended for GECOM.
No Independent Commissioners in GECOM
According to Act No. 2 of 2000, there are six Commissioners who are appointed for life to GECOM in the following manner.
Three members are appointed by the President, acting in his own deliberate judgement, and three members also appointed by the President acting on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition after he would have meaningfully consulted the non-governmental opposition parties represented in the National Assembly.
The Chairman should be a person who holds, has held or is qualified to hold the office of Judge of the High Court or the Court of Appeal; or any other fit and proper person who is appointed from a list of six persons, who are not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after he has meaningfully consulted with the non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly.
If the Leader of the Opposition does not submit such a list of persons, then the President shall appoint a person who holds, has held, or is qualified to hold the office of Judge of the High Court or the Court of Appeal.
See the difference between want obtains in Guyana and Jamaica?
The ECJ has the Mandate to keep the Jamaican Government at arms length distance
According to the 2006 Electoral Commission Act of Jamaica, its responsibility is to protect the electoral process from the immediate direction, influence and control of the Government, which may influence its functioning to the detriment of persons with opposing views who may wish to participate in the process.
In addition to conducting general elections, by-elections or referenda, the ECJ is responsible for compiling and maintaining the register of eligible electors; verifying the identity of every eligible elector; approving political parties eligible to receive state funding; and administering electoral funding and financial disclosure requirements.
Remember President Jagdeo dictating that only the PPP/C and the PNCR should get state funds for scrutineers to the exclusion of the AFC and others in the 2006 National Elections, and more recently for the new registration process? See the difference?
In Reforming GECOM we need to guard against the PPP/C’s Preoccupation with Proportionality
It should be noted that the mantra of the PPP/C since coming into office has been to insist on proportionality for ‘everything under the sun’ as if they need to have things stacked in their favour.
Given this reality, would we be wrong to conclude that, as the governing political party, the PPP/C has failed to create an enabling environment of trust?
Also, should it not mean that, as a political entity, they are transmitting vibes that perhaps they are not sufficiently confident that they are capable of persuading others by the content of their characters and the quality of their arguments?
A Wake-Up Call to the Guyanese Society
Much effort is being made to distract us with phantom advertisements from such important issues as the partisan nature of GECOM in order to lure us down the wrong path.
The truth is that this administration has proved, beyond a shadow of doubt, to be unworthy of another term.
The reform of GECOM is therefore necessary inter alia to achieve this. Do you, the citizens of Guyana, possess the will and the civic consciousness to join with the Alliance for Change in demanding this?
JAGDEO ADDING MORE DANGER TO GUYANA AND THE REGION
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