The Working People’s Alliance today expressed its concern over the silence of the Guyana Elections Commission as the country is preparing for General and Regional Elections this year.

At a press conference today, the Co-Leader of the WPA, Dr. David Hinds said even the recent public chiding of the GECOM Legal Counsel by the Chief Election Officer over a matter before the Court is concerning.

“WPA finds the CEO’s public chiding of the legal advisor a reflection of the confusion and apparent partisan mindset of GECOM’s secretariat. Not for the first time, the legal advisor’s stance on the law flies in the face of this partisan mindset,” Dr. Hinds stated.

The party has restated its view that everything possible should be done to ensure that the elections are conducted in a manner that is acceptable to the political parties and stakeholders.

Hinds said because of the crucial nature of the upcoming elections, the buck stops at GECOM to get it right. He said in a highly divided society where the electorate is also divided, the constant scrutiny of GECOM’s impartiality does not auger well for the upcoming elections.

“If the instances of voter impersonation and other documented irregularities uncovered by the recount of the ballots in the wake of the 2020 elections are taken into consideration, then the opposition has reasons to fear the status quo. The PPP and its acolytes have yet to make the case that implementation of biometrics would give the opposition an unfair advantage. They have also not rebutted the opposition’s case that the use of biometrics would decrease instances of voter impersonation.

Hinds said GECOM by its actions  and silence is increasingly making it easier for the Opposition to believe that it is entangled with the government.

He reasoned that in a high-stakes election, GECOM must ensure that the elections and the conduct of its officials are all acceptable.

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