albert, please address the specific concerns of the AFC contained in the following extract from today's press conference, and not those made up by Dr Misir's GoG Blogging Unit:
Stealing Democracy
The Alliance For Change wishes to express its disappointment in GECOM’s decision to allow the reopening of the claims and objections period for the preparation of the list of electors on the basis of a request by the People’s Progressive Party, ostensibly to avoid disenfranchisement of some seven thousand unregistered persons.
The fact that a number of Guyanese are still without birth certificates points to administrative ineptness on the part of this government. The fact that this same ineptness may very well become the basis for a de facto third term of office for President Jagdeo adds insult to injury.
The Alliance For Change is not convinced that the PPP/C Government is truly concerned with the democratic rights of our citizens. This latest maneuver on their part is clearly motivated by other considerations.
The PPP is fully aware that the seemingly benign thirteen days’ reopening of claims and objections will not merely push the earliest possible date of elections back from the middle of October to the end of that month as they would have the public believe, but will extend this date well into the second half of November due to the complexity of GECOM’s work schedule. This will bring it dangerously close to the month of December, during which we have traditionally avoided electioneering and the holding of elections.
This small window of opportunity towards the end of November becomes, in effect, the only practical option for Guyanese to go to the polls on or before the 28th day of December as per the laws of Guyana. This scenario is rife with possibilities for further maneuvers and the Alliance For Change has no doubt that these will occur. We wish to remind the Guyanese public that the list of electors currently being prepared is designed to capture those persons who have attained the age of 18 years on or before the 30th September 2011. Should there be no elections within 90 days of this cut-off date then the registration process will have to be reopened again to capture all those who would have reached the age of 18 years in the interim. Any delay therefore will see the continuity of the Jagdeo Presidency well into 2012 or beyond. To believe that the PPP is not keenly aware of this probability is to dwell in a realm of delusion.
The words of Dr. Luncheon on the reopening of claims and objections that “We are assured it can be done without violating any of the constitutional and statutory deadlines that currently exist to hold elections before the 28th of December 2011” falls short of a commitment to ensure that elections will indeed be held by the due date.
We therefore call on the PPP to cease this disingenuous attempt to rob Guyana of its democracy.
AFC Press Conference - 20th July 2011