Nine parties qualify to contest 2020 Presidential elections

Commissioners attached to the Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM) have confirmed that nine parties out of 13 have qualified to contest the general elections slated for March 2. Speaking to the press outside GECOM head office in Kingston, Tuesday, Oppositionappointed Commissioner Sase Gunraj told the media the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), A New and United Guyana (ANUG), the United Republican Party (URP), Change Guyana, the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and the People’s Republic Party (PRP) The Citizenship Initiative (TCI), The New Movement (TNM) will all be contesting in the General elections.

The Federal United Party (FED UP) and Organization of Victory of the People, (OVP) had earlier indicated that they would only be contesting the regional polls. Gunraj told the media that only two parties, the National Independent Party (NIP) and the Guyana National Service Party (GNSP) have failed to meet the requirements for the elections. As such, the Commissioner said that along fellow election commissioner, Charles Corbin, he is preparing to leave Guyana in the coming weeks to oversee the printing of ballots.

Gunraj’s statements were supported by Governmentappointed Commissioner Vincent Alexander. Alexander was specifically questioned on how GECOM intends to deal with the issue of false declarations. Presidential candidates of both the LJP, Lenox Shuman, and United Republican Party (URP) Dr Vishnu Bandhu, have indicated that they are yet to get clearance on the matter of their citizenship in foreign countries. All candidates contesting the General elections were made aware of the articles in the Constitution of Guyana, which prohibits dual citizens from being elected a member of the National Assembly. Shuman and Bandhu have both noted their intention to relinquish their dual citizenship but said that they have not received official word from their status. At present, GECOM is deciding how to deal with the matter since the candidates would have signed a declaration form in the presence of a Justice of Peace (JP) declaring that they are only citizens of Guyana and are aware of the articles in the Constitution of Guyana which prohibits dual citizens from being elected a member of the National Assembly.

(Kaieteur News)