Reform of GECOM is the starting-point for genuine election and constitutional reform in Guyana - Article 13

Article 13 is calling for the reform of the Guyana Election Commission as a matter of priority. The civil society group issued a press release last evening calling into question the accountability of the elections body given its current structure where the two major political parties fills the seats of the commission.

According to Article 13, civil society groups, international observers and the wider Guyanese public have expressed over the past two decades that Guyana’s election system requires a comprehensive review to achieve a system that holds politicians to account and realize the aspiration of a participatory democracy. Article 13 says the steady drumbeat of these calls has evidently become too loud to ignore. It further said that the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry into the 2020 election crisis falls short of what is needed, but nevertheless, is a step in the right direction. The civil society group also welcomed the announcement of a Constitutional Reform Commission and the upcoming government sponsored stakeholder forum on Electoral Reform.

However, the group stressed task of reshaping Guyana’s electoral laws is not to be taken lightly and should not be left solely at the hands of the very political parties whose intransigence in implementing recommended reforms has resulted in a GECOM that amplifies rather than ameliorates the inherent polarization of Guyana’s political system. According to the release, the absolute starting-point for genuine election and constitutional reform in Guyana must be the fundamental restructuring and reform of GECOM to an independent body that serves the constitution of Guyana as it was intended to, representing all Guyanese, while standing above the partisan, political fray and independent of political influence. The release further argued that the current formula in which politicians from the two major parties fill the seats of the commission, excluding representation of minority parties, must be discarded in favour of a commission which includes a majority of nonpartisan, civil society members, accountable to the courts rather than political interests.

In carrying out its duties, GECOM must be respected and must have a reputation for fairness under pressure. The release says that at a time of political instability on a national scale when GECOM should have been a force for prudence and reason, political pressure only adds to the disorder. Guyanese have a right to a commission that is held to the highest standards of independence, competence and integrity. As such, Article 13 says that once members are appointed, political parties should have no power over their continuing membership allowing commissioners to carry out their work without fear or favour. The release says that to ensure a representative, independent GECOM, Article 13 calls for the following:

1. GECOM must be restructured to comprise a majority non-partisan commissioners and led by a non-partisan chairman.

2. Commissioners must be appointed for a fixed period with no option for renewal.

3. Commissioners must be elected by a fully transparent selection process.

The release says that to be fully effective, complementary election and constitutional reforms must accompany these changes. While the group says it welcomes the initiative to reform the Representation of the People’s Act (ROPA) and electoral laws, it nevertheless argues that it is evident that increasing pecuniary and punitive measures is simply not sufficient to redress the systemic weaknesses of a partisan GECOM. The basis upon which the structure of the commission is created must be addressed. Article 13 also says it welcomes the Government’s consultation with civil society and look forward to an active role in the development and evolution of the other election laws and the ROPA, however, the group says it will maintain its call to action for the reform of GECOM as requisite for free, democratic and fair elections.