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FM
Former Member

Representatives of the ABC countries and European Union met with the Guyana Elections Commission yesterday to discuss preparations for General and Regional Elections.
Yesterday, GECOM said that the Chiefs of Mission present were from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and European Union.
“The meeting was held (yesterday) at 10:00hrs in the GECOM boardroom at the request of the diplomatic delegation to meet with the GECOM Commissioners to discuss the agency’s preparations for the conduct of General and Regional Elections.”
There was little other information from the statement on what exactly was discussed.
Present were Terry Steers Conzales, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States of America; Lilian Chatterjee, High Commissioner of Canada; Ray Davidson, Deputy High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, and Philippe Coessens, Minister Counsellor/ Deputy Head of Delegation, European Union.
According to Yolanda Ward, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, both sides of the Commission – the Government and Opposition-made presentations.
Commissioner for the Opposition, Bibi Shadick, disclosed that the envoys asked several questions.
In cases, she said, the GECOM chairman, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson did not directly answer.
“Basically they were asking GECOM about the work it is doing…and what is stopping them.
It boils down to the things they have been saying all the time, that they don’t have the money.”
The Commission disclosed that it has written President David Granger informing him that they cannot hold elections before March 21 and that they need money.
“Of course, I pointed out that that is not true. That since no confidence vote two months, nothing has been done.”
Shadick said that it was pointed out that the Constitution and the Fiscal Management Accountability Act makes it very clear that money is appropriated for GECOM in a lump sum, after which GECOM has to regulate its spending in a manner it sees fit.
She noted that under regulations one month after the Appropriation Bill is approved, following the budget approval in Parliament, GECOM has to collect the money it had been allocated.
She said that GECOM has not received the billions which means that Government is stymieing the work of the agency.
The Commissioner insisted that in any case, GECOM doesn’t have to go back to Parliament to ask for money. It can spend its allocation as it sees fit.
She said that come May 1, GECOM has made it clear there will not be a new list.
One of the questions asked by the heads to GECOM is if it is the conclusion that the elections are contingent on house-to-house registration.

GECOM meeting with the foreign envoys yesterday.

“They were not answering directly but start talking about sanitizing list, file petitions and unrest.
It is the same thing. I respect the intelligence of those people to read through all that…to see what is the true intent. What is clear is that the chairman is not answering any of these questions.”
The Chairman, a former judge, according to Shadick, was also asked if it was his opinion that he has to wait on the decisions of the higher court before elections.
“One answer he gave is that you have to respect decisions of the court.”
One diplomat even noted that situation in Guyana is inhibiting investments.
“Nobody said anything. The chairman was not answering anything.”
Meanwhile, a government information statement said that there will be no hindrances to moving into elections mode when a date is announced.
While appearing on the National Communications Network (NCN Inc.) programme ‘Context’, GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander explained that until the body is advised on an election date, the commission will be working with its 2019 programme which includes the claims and objections period and house-to-house registration. He emphasised that there will be no “hindrances to GECOM moving into elections mode”.
“The pursuit of the 2019 programme would not inhibit GECOM’s preparation for elections when that date is announced because a major element for the preparation of elections would be the preparation of a list and house-to-house registration would lead such a list,” Alexander said.
He explained that it would be impossible for the body to host elections in 90 days given what is required for efficient elections. He said that it would be “foolhardy” of GECOM to embark on an exercise which it cannot complete in the given timeframe.
The issue of elections became critical after the historic December 21, 2018 no confidence vote which was carried against the government.
However, Government has appealed.
The High Court has ruled that the vote was valid but it is being appealed.
That vote, according to the Constitution, was supposed to have triggered elections within 90 days, but GECOM is saying that it is not ready and that it wants house-to-house registration first, a process that could take months and push elections till next year.
The situation has heavily divided the country.
This year, Guyana is expected to start producing oil.

https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...oys-meet-with-gecom/

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

House to House registration cannot save the PNC from being defeated.  They know that and that's the reason why they are delaying elections. They can run but not far.  

Pressure is applying to ABC countries to impose sanctions against the PNC / GECOM Commissioners. 

It has happened to other countries ( election Commissioners ) who use fraudulent means to delay democracy.. this time nah Lang time . 

FM

We have no choice to but to rely on the US, Britain, and Canada to pressure the PNC to respect the constitution and allow free elections.  If they don't do it then we are definitely back to the days we dread so much - 28 years of unbroken rule by the PNC>

Billy Ram Balgobin
Last edited by Billy Ram Balgobin

It took the Carter Center more than two years back in the early 90s to force the PNC to respect law and order. I am not surprised that it will take some arm twisting again as the PNC is naturally inclined to disrespect law and order. Like dem PNC bais already promising unrest.

FM
ksazma posted:

It took the Carter Center more than two years back in the early 90s to force the PNC to respect law and order. I am not surprised that it will take some arm twisting again as the PNC is naturally inclined to disrespect law and order. Like dem PNC bais already promising unrest.

Bhai, the Carter Center helped to restore Democracy  and many other things in Guyana, what happened after, was recommendations was shunned by the last gov't.  Carter probably got fed up and left Guyana alone. Join the dots of the political history of Guyana, you will get the idea who is calling the shots.

Now is begging time again by the same folks who shunned him.

Django
Last edited by Django
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

House to House registration cannot save the PNC from being defeated.  They know that and that's the reason why they are delaying elections. They can run but not far.  

Good so why the screams about it. Clean up the voter list and whoever wins the election will be who the people wish.

FM
Django posted:
ksazma posted:

It took the Carter Center more than two years back in the early 90s to force the PNC to respect law and order. I am not surprised that it will take some arm twisting again as the PNC is naturally inclined to disrespect law and order. Like dem PNC bais already promising unrest.

Bhai, the Carter Center helped to restore Democracy  and many other things in Guyana, what happened after, was recommendations was shunned by the last gov't.  Carter probably got fed up and left Guyana alone. Join the dots of the political history of Guyana, you will get the idea who is calling the shots.

Now is begging time again by the same folks who shunned him.

Of course Ksaz the PPP fraud that he is doesnt report that the Carter Center became frustrated with the intransigence and racism of the PPP and stopped dealing with Guyana.  They appeared in 2015, and we know what happened then.

FM
Billy Ram Balgobin posted:

We have no choice to but to rely on the US, Britain, and Canada to pressure the PNC to respect the constitution and allow free elections.  If they don't do it then we are definitely back to the days we dread so much - 28 years of unbroken rule by the PNC>

Then  you have a problem.  The UK and EU has Brexit and Canada and the USA have the Trump fiasco and Venezuela.  The local envoys will have their chatter but it doesnt get beyond that.

FM
caribny posted:
Django posted:
ksazma posted:

It took the Carter Center more than two years back in the early 90s to force the PNC to respect law and order. I am not surprised that it will take some arm twisting again as the PNC is naturally inclined to disrespect law and order. Like dem PNC bais already promising unrest.

Bhai, the Carter Center helped to restore Democracy  and many other things in Guyana, what happened after, was recommendations was shunned by the last gov't.  Carter probably got fed up and left Guyana alone. Join the dots of the political history of Guyana, you will get the idea who is calling the shots.

Now is begging time again by the same folks who shunned him.

Of course Ksaz the PPP fraud that he is doesnt report that the Carter Center became frustrated with the intransigence and racism of the PPP and stopped dealing with Guyana.  They appeared in 2015, and we know what happened then.

Banna, the Carter Center was not needed after 1992. They now have work to do again because we are having another 1990-1992 again. Why would the Carter Center waste time in Guyana between 1992 and 2015 when democracy was upheld during that time?

FM
ksazma posted:
 

Banna, the Carter Center was not needed after 1992. They now have work to do again because we are having another 1990-1992 again. Why would the Carter Center waste time in Guyana between 1992 and 2015 when democracy was upheld during that time?

The role of the Carter Center was NOT limited to returning the PPP to power.  It was focused on fostering an INCLUSIVE democracy in Guyana, based on our ethnically polarized politics and its negative impacts.  They tried to get the PPP to be more inclusive, but the PPP screamed "we gat de mandate and no blackman can tell we what to do". 

After years of trying to get the PPP to understand that it had to be more cooperative with the PNC they left.  They showed up again in 2015, no doubt to ensure that the PPP was removed, just as they helped the PNC to be removed 23 years before.  Jimmy Carter in fact was in Guyana before the election, but had to leave when his illness resulted in a return to the USA.

If the PPP was so perfect the Carter Center would NOT have been in Guyana in 2015!

FM

DJ needs schooling. Carter Centre intervenes in situations of dictatorships and observing elections. The PNC does it again !

The fact that ABC is asking hard questions indicates that they mean business. The PNC can run but they cannot hide. 

FM
Last edited by Former Member
yuji22 posted:

DJ needs schooling. Carter Centre intervenes in situations of dictatorships and observing elections. The PNC does it again !

The fact that ABC is asking hard questions indicates that they mean business. The PNC can run but they cannot hide. 

The ABC nations are asking how much $$$ the GECOM needs. Your Jagdeo forced parliament to resign and so it has no $$.

Do you see any evidence that they dont want the House to House?  Elections cannot be credible if people show up to vote and their names aren't on the list.  Guyana being a primitive and corrupt nation means that continuous registration cannot be relied on to ensure a proper list.

And yes the Carter Center was in Guyana in 2015 so you implicate Ramotar/Jagdeo as a dictatorship.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
yuji22 posted:

DJ needs schooling. Carter Centre intervenes in situations of dictatorships and observing elections. The PNC does it again !

The fact that ABC is asking hard questions indicates that they mean business. The PNC can run but they cannot hide. 

Talking for talk sake.

Django

Guyana remains CARICOM's dysfunctional child. Only Haiti is worse, but at least they have an excuse, given that they never developed a proper systems of governance.  At least we had the remnants of whatever the British left and didn't face embargos as soon as we became independent.

FM

Here is a scenario.

ABC countries get into Venezuela's politics and help in tossing out Maduro. A couple years later somehow through nefarious means Maduro's group holds a NCV which end just as in Guyana, the sitting govt loses.

Who here thinks the ABC countries will come in and assist Maduro?

cain

Lets see if history is kind to the PNC in this regard, ignoring the NC motion and constitutional requirements.  Who knows, they might come out smelling lakka rose if ABC don't put pressure. 

FM
Drugb posted:

Lets see if history is kind to the PNC in this regard, ignoring the NC motion and constitutional requirements.  Who knows, they might come out smelling lakka rose if ABC don't put pressure. 

ABC will come up with a compromise proposal which will help the PNC. PNC got caught off guard as they were planning for 2020. They will get the ABC to agree on a later date and force BJ to agree. The only power BJ/PPP have is the international community agreeing to delegitimizing the Coalition. Short of that they are back to pre-1992 PNC attitude!

Baseman

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