By Svetlana Marshall

Queries surrounding the operationalization of joinder lists were among the primary issues raised when the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) met this afternoon with representatives of 28 political parties that are hoping to contest the September 1 General and Regional Elections.

The issue of the joinder list was raised mostly by the small parties that are weighing their options as they prepare for the elections. However, many of their questions appeared to have been left unanswered.

Shortly after exiting the meeting today, Chairman of A New and United Guyana, Dr Mark France expressed disappointment that GECOM was unable to provide clarity on the issue.

His party had formed part of a joinder list with the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) and The New Movement (TNM) following the 2020 Elections, but was unable to occupy the seat in the Parliament, after the TNM Candidate Dr Asha Kissoon, refused to vacate the seat at the agreed time.

Dr France told reporters that it is important for the GECOM to provide clarity on the operationalization of the list.

“With many smaller, newer political parties on the scene, the joinder list is an option that may appeal to many given that it is hard to contest in the General Elections, that you must take part in at least six regions, six regions that have 13 of the 25 constituencies, that you may have the top up numbers. So, the joinder list option is one of the options that smaller, newer parties are looking to work together, to pool their resources and improve their chances at the elections, and if that is something that GECOM has not addressed, and they haven’t given it any urgency or paid any great mind to it, because this is two years later, and they still have not,” Dr France explained.

He said GECOM must also clearly indicate how a seat won by joinder parties is filled, whether it is occupied by a single candidate throughout the life of the Parliament or whether candidates from the various list can rotate the seat.

Alliance For Change (AFC) Representatives Beverly Alert and Nicole Trotman expressed disappointment that clarity was not provided on the issue and many other issues raised during the meeting.

“The intent of the meeting was to share information ahead of the 2025 Elections. Many of the concerns raised, especially by the smaller parties, as pertain to, especially what happens with joinder lists and specifically, identifying the representative in the National Assembly, it is clear that GECOM has not addressed this, they have not put their minds to it. Two years and counting, and they have not addressed it,” Alert said.

Ms. Alert further stated that it is clear that the Elections Commission is ill-prepared for the Elections, and should consider pushing back the date for the elections.

 According to her, the matter regarding the joinder list is just but one of the many issues that GECOM has not addressed.

“GECOM is absolutely not ready for the elections, they are not. If you have smaller parties that are very interested in joining, and this is a burning issue for over two years, and you come to a briefing, and you cannot answer a fundamental question, that tells you the level of preparedness that GECOM has,” Trotman added, while supporting Alert’s called for the elections to be postponed until GECOM “get its act together.”

Representative of The People’s Movement, Nigel London, shared similar sentiments and said GECOM is not ready for the elections, as the parties walked away with many unanswered questions.

“GECOM is unprepared to hold or conduct the General and Regional Elections because should there be 28 parties as you just heard, seeking to have, 10 of them let us just say, they want to have a joinder arrangement, GECOM cannot at this point say to us that they intend to have this addressed, most so, with the legal framework being applied,” London said.

Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Aneal Giddings admitted that the Election Secretariat was unable to provide clarity on the issue of the joinder list, but he assured that the matter will come up at the level at the Commission.

“What I promised the parties is that at the next statutory meeting of the Commission we will raise it as a matter that needs to be addressed, a matter of concern. At this point in time, we don’t have the answers, well me. As part of the secretariat, I would prefer to be guided by a commission decision and a commission directive on it,” Giddings said.

According to the Deputy Chief Election Officer, the Secretariat must await directives from the Commission on the issue.

Another issue raised by the parties was that of access to information.

Presidential Candidate for the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP), Simona Broomes, told reporters that small parties have faced some difficulty accessing credible information regarding the electoral process, explaining that the Election Commissioners often provide the press with conflicting information on major decisions taken by the Elections Commission.

“For a movement that is new we have no access to GECOM information, and in fact, sometimes we don’t know what to believe. There are three persons from the PPP, and three persons from the Opposition, and the CEO that makes up the Commission, so, as it relates to us, how do we get information. Often time when you rely on them to come to the media, the opposition side is saying something, the chair is saying something, and so, they are all over the place. And I believe that in the best interest of transparency with GECOM and fairness to all, there should and must have some mechanism in place where we receive reliable information like everybody else,” Broomes said.

On this issue, Giddings told reporters that the Secretariat has been actively engaging parties.

“On a daily basis, and especially now, I have been interacting with many representatives of many many parties, so as the CEO, and I believe that we are doing appropriately, reasonably well in providing information as best as we can. We are actually going above and beyond to provide information,” the DCEO said.

The larger parties – the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic represented by Executive Members, Anil Nandlall and Zulfikar Mustapha; and the APNU represented by Executive Members, Carol Smith Joseph and Riaz Roopnarine – said the meeting was routine, and informative. Some smaller parties also expressed satisfaction with the presentation done by the DCEO on Nominations, describing it as very informative.

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