PNCR member calls for inquiry into Georgetown District elections; says time for fairness, honesty, democracy

Last Updated on Tuesday, 18 October 2022, 21:40 by Denis Chabrol

Annette Ferguson

People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member Annette Ferguson has written to all Central Executive Committee (CEC) members asking for a probe into alleged “irregularities” at the recently-held Georgetown District elections.

“The time has come for the PNCR to rise to the occasion of practicing fairness, honesty and being democratic when it comes to its internal business or affairs,” she told the CEC in correspondence dated October 3, 2022 and copied to party leader Aubrey N0rton and General Secretary Geeta Chandan-Edmond.

Ms Ferguson complained bitterly that the October 2 polls were not conducted fairly and credibly because, among other things, contestants were not provided information such as the number of ballots and the voting process. “The Candidates were not provided with critical information on the number of delegates registered, number of ballots printed and how the actual voting will be done, et al,” she said in her correspondence that was also copied to party elders.

Ms Ferguson said a party member informed that there were approximately 214 registered delegates but she said that was not provided to her as a candidate. She said during the count that same party member and her were informed that 211 ballots were cast, but at the end of the count 213 votes were cast- Troy Garraway – 121 votes, Ferguson-Collins, 87 and spoiled votes, 5.

In addition to the one hour extension of registration without notice, she said candidates for the post of Chairperson did not meet with the Returning Officer despite the promise by then outgoing Georgetown District Chairperson Volda Lawrence.

Ms Ferguson further alleged that unregistered because their names were incorrectly placed on the delegates list of their group or who went after the close of registration. Among those disenfranchised, she said, was Attorney-at-Law Roysdale Forde although he was an automatic candidate, registered and wore an arm band. Another guideline, she alleged, was flouted was voting by persons who did wear arm bands or stickers. She said an inquiry should seek to find out why Mr Forde was disenfranchised.

Among the questions that Ms Ferguson wants answered are why candidates were not provided with the final list of delegates after registration and put in place a transparent system at the balloting tables. “It was clear to the eyes that the balloting clerks were ONLY issuing
ballots, without verifying that persons were indeed registered as delegates. Glaring absence of checks and balances,” said Ms Ferguson, a parliamentarian for the opposition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

She said the probe should also inquire why candidates were not informed who would have been the Returning Officer and members of the Accreditation Committee.

“Comrades of Central Executive Committee, I do take the questions above very seriously and hope that timely responses will be provided to assuage any doubts that the process was not credible and transparent,” she said.

Ms Ferguson’s call for a better internal system to manage her party’s elections comes at a time when the governing People’s Progressive Party continues to remind supporters about APNU+AFC’s efforts to rig the March 2020 general and regional elections. The opposition coalition has vehemently denied those charges and has instead accused the PPP of coming to power through electoral fraud. The PNCR-led APNU+AFC coalition has been demanding that the voters list be cleansed of the names of thousands of deceased persons and emigrants.

For several decades, the PNCR had been dogged by rigged general and regional elections.

PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton last year won the post of leader of his party in what he and others had touted a transparent process.