Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton today chided the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller over statements she made about the voter’s list, describing her statements as out of place and against the wishes of the Guyanese people.

Last week, the UK diplomat was quoted in the media as saying that the current voters list can be used for future elections once there are enough safeguards.

But at a press conference today, the Opposition Leader said that such a position would never be accepted in the UK, which has strict voting mechanisms in place.

“The British High Commissioner must not be allowed to go against the wishes of the Guyanese people. While we pursue good relations with all countries, we are committed to ensuring that our decisions are made by the people of Guyana and there we abhor the attempt by any diplomat to impose their will on the people of Guyana,” Norton declared.

The Opposition Leader said it has long been concluded that the current voters list is bloated and does not represent the true voting population of Guyana, and therefore outside intervention to state to the contrary is not be welcomed.

“What is more worrying is that the British High Commissioner was informed about the reality surrounding the list when the APNU met with the ABCE countries. It is interesting, that the ABCE countries choose to be briefed together but the British High Commissioner choose to go it all alone in making her ill-informed comments,” Norton noted.

Mr. Norton said the British High Commissioner must be reminded that all of the Observer Missions at the last General and Regional Elections recommended that the Guyana Elections Commission undertakes a process to create a new voter’s list.

The Opposition Leader said his party has also called for the use of biometrics at the place of poll, and if the safeguards she was referring to include biometrics, then that it a starting point although generally he said her comments were ill-informed.

“I have no doubt that the British High Commissioner has a right to make a pronouncement, what however must also be acknowledged is that we also have a right to make pronouncement on any pronouncement that is made and our pronouncement on this is, the entire observer group at 2020 elections called for a clean voters list and therefore the pronouncement seem antithetical to what the British, the Carter center, and CARICOM all were saying,” Norton said.

In the final analysis, Norton said the decision will have to be made by the Guyanese people. He said his party will continue to campaign for a new voters list.

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