December 21, 2019 – Demerara Waves – By GHK Lall
By Guyanese standards, it has been a relatively dignified December. In fact, it has been the most placid month of this stormy year. Still, I had to wait for the safety of over two thirds of the month to pass, before I am able to say that a strange quiet took hold, mostly on the political front.
I begin with that coal-pot of the raging constitutional entity called GECOM, which itself sounded reasonably becalmed. The chair herself led by example; she is not seen, only heard, like some Greek goddess of yore handing down the unique Guyanese electoral wisdoms from Olympus. I hope that things do not fly to her head, and the lady actually begins to believe (in true Guyanese fashion) that she actually is a goddess. But whenever she speaks, everybody straightens up and listens; this was what happened in December with polite listening across the political force field. The rowdy political pack named commissioners did comport themselves as adults in December, and everybody survived to tell the tale. Continue reading
Guyana: Proposed Amendments to Elections Law Totally Inadequate – By Ralph Ramkarran
B
y Ralph Ramkarran – Conversation Tree Blog – November 13, 2021
The amendments to the elections’ laws proposed by the Government through the Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill are woefully inadequate. They are limited to the following: imposing higher penalties for elections’ offences; creating new elections’ offences with high penalties; adumbrating a new structure for District (Region) 4; and establishing new offices for District 4. Having now demonstrated a mindset of where it wants to go by the contents of the Bill, the Government is unlikely to divert from this already decided course, except perhaps with minor amendments.
But much more is required, and this was the opportunity to accomplish needed reforms in other areas of the electoral system, especially since the next elections are four years away. I have written extensively, but vainly, about elections’ reform over several years. I now take the opportunity to repeat some of those ideas. Continue reading →
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