GECOM, please accommodate me-I want to vote

Apr 08, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor,

I am shocked that some ‘suspects’ and I should say, the ‘usual ones’ are querying whether or not ‘residency at the time of voting’ is a prerequisite for voting in Guyana. I am also shocked that ‘biased reporters are asking about ‘proof of address’ (as though a ‘proof of address’ equates to ‘residency at any time’). As readers can fathom, I am involving myself in this discussion as it hovers around a ruling from Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George. As I gather from the news, “Even as the High Court of Guyana dismissed the application by PNCR Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith-Joseph’s, challenging the eligibility criteria for voter registration, Madame Roxanne George’s) ruling that there is no residency requirement for citizens to be registered or to vote in the country’s general elections, (yet) Smith-Joseph has instructed her lawyers to appeal (the) Acting Chief Justice Roxane George’s ruling to dismiss the address verification case.”

‘First things first’ is that Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, umpteen times disambiguated whatever ‘supposed ambiguity’ inhered in the Constitution regarding this issue. Also, to me, there was no cause for fussing, and this was confirmed by Justice George, who in handing down her decision, emphatically affirmed “ … that verification of an applicant’s physical presence at a listed address is not a prerequisite for voter registration, as stated in Article 159 of the constitution, which dates back to 1980.”

Just for some fun, I can arrange for an address and its verification, and I can also arrange for my presence there at the time of any visit by any GECOM officer. So maybe, this is a point to be ‘cleared up’ and should be expunged all together. As a matter of fact, non-resident citizen voting is normal world-wide. Almost universally, citizens, for some time now, have been voting in elections ‘according to their citizenship’ while not residing in the country of the election. (Please note, that I voted while in Guyana, as I was on holiday when my adopted country held elections).

According to my quick check, as of 2020, a total of 141 countries have granted non-residents such as emigrants or expatriates the right to non-resident citizen voting. In today’s technologically advanced world, there is no ‘humbug’ regarding legality, authenticity, or availability over this matter. I repeat that it is quite normal for ‘voting in person’ at diplomatic missions or other physical locations, by post, or online. These allow non-resident citizens to vote transparently, freely and fairly.

I call on ‘fair-minded’ Guyanese to recall how prior to 1980, LFS Burnham, as it was later confirmed, ‘rigged up people and addresses’, and counted so many votes for his PNC, that they had numbers exceeding actual people registered. Nobody challenged him as he was the ‘stooge’ of some strange foreign forces who wanted to have him in power. This issue is still hot in many circles and I invite people to go and read up on it.

Now back to our issue here, and I repeat, that I have the Constitutional Right to exercise my highest franchise, that is, to vote, no matter where I am and what address I proffered. The crux of the matter is that I can be identified and authenticated as a, that is, ‘one’ real person, and as a citizen I must not be impeded in my right to ‘cast my ballot.’

So, on this note, I am asking that the Government of Guyana and GECOM facilitate all those who want to vote in all elections in Guyana. The citizens from what I can feel is that they want to vote. They have registered. Yes, they are living as residents, citizens, students etc. in far off countries-South America, the Caribbean, North America and Europe etc., but they can’t just return home for a voting exercise.

I ask why do we have embassies and consulates? Why do we have technology? Why can’t we arrange for observers to oversee the voting of the Guyanese Diaspora? So, I am for championing ‘distant’ voting for all Guyanese. I also suggest that the counting be done at the place of voting if in person, or in the domain where it was done in terms of mailing or on-line. I ask again that the entire diaspora be accommodated for all elections henceforth. I really do not mind being a liaison in this cause. PS. Let the AG address this on his next “Issues in the News.”

Yours truly,

Raymond Anderson.

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