AFC bows out of Local Government Elections

Black Immigrant Daily News

See below statement from the Alliance For Change (AFC) on not contesting the March 2023 Local Government Elections (LGE):

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Alliance For Change (AFC), after muchdebate, has arrived at a consensus that the party will not contest the upcoming localgovernment elections (LGE) without changes to the list of electors.

The AFC has concluded that no election should be held on the existing list of electorsbecause it is bloated, illegitimate and a source of electoral fraud, as demonstratedduring the publicized national recount. On the face of it, the current list contains thenames of the deceased, migrated and duplicates.

It is manifest that our electoral system is far from perfect, but we must not wilfullyperpetuate a deception on the people of Guyana. During the national election in 2020,there were multiple instances where dead people, the migrated, and a host of othershenanigans interfered with the electoral process. We should not go there again!

The NEC believes that participating in these elections with a list proven deficient andcontaining widespread discrepancies would perpetrate a fraud on the Guyanese peopleand undermine our democratic system.

The AFC has already called on the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM) to producea credible voters’ list by conducting a certifiable house-to-house verification andregistration process. Accordingly, we would go as far as supporting the postponementof the LGE as was done in 1992 to present a “clean” voters’ list to the electorate.

We have also indicated our acceptance of using biometrics and the necessaryelectronic equipment to enhance our voting experience and reduce the propensity forimpersonation. However, as warned, we will not participate in the upcoming LocalGovernment Elections if these changes are not made to bring legitimacy to our electoralsystem.

The people of Guyana have a right to feel confident in its electoral system, like thevoting public in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, without unnecessary workarounds.

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