GECOM, Registrars Office biased in favour of opposition- PPP delegates

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:01 by GxMedia

Delegates of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) on Saturday urged their party to overhaul the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) because of the opposition was being given preference in getting birth certificates to register on the voters’ list.

In reporting to the plenary session on the Political Situation, Shyam Nokta observed that there have been several reports of favouritism in getting source documents such as birth certificates.  He said the opposition was, however, being facilitated.

Against that background, his committee recommended that the GRO be restructured. 

Touching on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Nokta reported that there was ongoing influence in the commission.

In his group’s analysis, Nokta also urged delegates to be cognizant of the military influence in A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and to be always mobilized and be in a state of readiness.

The group further observed that the opposition was accessing international donor funds through organisations like the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA), Red Thread and the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO).

The Alliance For Change (AFC) was singled out for being very quick in responding to concerns in communities, although the PPP now has more groups. “While groups are growing, the work on the ground is not growing,” he said. The role of the third force, the group advised, must not be discounted.

The PPP was thrown out of office in 1964 when The United Force (TUF) had coalesced with the Peoples National Congress (PNC). Again in 2011, the AFC was credited with splitting the PPP’s support base, resulting in the governing party having 32 seats and the 33 going to the combined opposition. A post-election coalition is not possible under the 1980 Constitution.

The RPA was also urged to be more active and responsive on the ground.

On the burning issue of corruption, the PPP blamed the opposition and sections of the media and critics inside and outside of the party for fuelling those accusations and the party’s negative image. That group recommended the establishment of an Integrity Committee and the formulation of an Integrity Code.