Civil society needs to get more active on elections – GHRA

Effectively mobilised, civil society’s energies can have a positive impact on national elections, according to the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA).

In a statement on Thursday, the GHRA noted that national elections have polarized Guyanese society politically and ethnically for the past fifty years and on this occasion it is occurring when the issues facing Guyana require a unified national response.

GHRA said that despite the fact that changing political demographics are gradually undermining traditional ethnic alignments, the race play-book continues to be a determining factor in elections.

It said that until the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is replaced by a modern, politically impartial Elections Commission, Guyanese elections will continue to be seen as the most dysfunctional in CARICOM.

It said however that while the reform of GECOM and other fundamental changes are not feasible in the short-term, this does not rule out the possibility of lifting the quality of the upcoming national elections on March 2nd 2020.

“For example, the parties listing names of candidates in the order that seats will be assigned is within their choice. A commitment to translate 50% of females on lists to 50% of seats won is another improvement within the parties’ choice. More scrutiny can be exercised to force parties to select candidates of integrity, with a record of public service and other qualities necessary for political leadership”, the GHRA stated.

Applying criteria of this nature in the run-up to elections allows voters to exercise some measure of influence to improve their quality.

“Civil society can use the current election in this way to sharpen its own advocacy skills and capacity to influence the contending parties. The run-up to elections also provides an opportunity for civic society to review its own role in national politics”, the GHRA added.

It stated that a more robust civil society is an insurance policy to ensure any eventual successful reform of the formal political culture is likely to endure.

“Civic organizations are encouraged to express themselves in ways that build citizenship. Civic influence could be asserted on electoral debates, which need to be rescued from the bi-partisan bullying which debased them in the recent past. Moreover, even when civic bodies are not inclined to take action as a body, their membership should be encouraged individually to educate themselves on issues and take some elementary steps such as making full use of the Claims & Objections period to check the accuracy of their names and other details on the Voters List to guard against allegations of fraud surfacing on elections day”, the GHRA added.

The human rights group contended that while national elections here often appear to be exercises in mass frustration, they also serve as opportunities for re-invigorating public life. Civic interventions, it said, however need to become a continuous part of the political landscape in a more systematic manner and cannot be reduced solely to casting ballots.