September 11 , 2019
Six months after its last visit the Atlanta, Georgia-based Carter Center has returned to Guyana and will be meeting with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams this morning.
According to a press invitation from the Williams’ office, the media is invited to cover the meeting scheduled for 10 am at the Attorney General’s Chambers.
During its last visit in March the Centre had proposed that General and Regional Elections could be held in August provided regulations which are part of the National Registration Act were used in lieu of House to House Registration to cleanse the list of electors of non-resident Guyanese.
“What has surfaced is the National Registration Act which provides for people who are non-resident to be taken off of the list… I’m not unprepared to explore the possibility of using the law that already exists but would need some regulations for it to be operationalised,” government-nominated commissioner Vincent Alexander told reporters after a March 20 meeting with the centre.
The Carter Center team, comprising Jason Carter, who is the grandson of former US President Jimmy Carter, David Carroll and Brett Lacy, met the seven-member commission and the Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield at GECOM’s Kingston head office for two hours following which they described the meeting as very productive.
“I think ultimately our role here of course is limited. We’re not Guyanese [but] we care about this country. The Carter Center has been here for many, many years, almost 30 years. This country is important to my grandfather. It’s important to me and my family as well but ultimately the issues that are being confronted right now (are) going to require the cooperation of political leadership of this country and we are optimistic, and we have had a very productive meeting with GECOM,” Carter said before leaving.
Since that time there has been one month of House to House registration and the commission is currently discussion plans to merge the data collected from the process with the National Register of Registrants.
The secretariat as also proposed a March 2020 Election date.
