GTUC writes GECOM, govt., international partners on electoral reform
Apr 04, 2025
─ says laws can be amended to allow for biometrics
Kaieteur News- The Guyana Trade Union Congress (GTUC) said on Thursday that it has written to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Government of Guyana, as well as international partners on electoral reform ahead of the 2025 elections.
General Secretary of the GTUC Lincoln Lewis said.
Addressing media personnel at a press conference, GTUC’s General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis, said the current voters list remains inaccurate with 738,484 names on the preliminary list. This is despite the country’s population being estimated at approximately 750,000 to 780,000.
“This discrepancy highlights the urgent need for electoral reform. Both the Organisation of American States and CARICOM have called for comprehensive voters’ registration and campaign finance reform, but these recommendations are yet to be implemented. GECOM is tasked with ensuring a credible voters’ role and overseeing fair elections,” Lewis told the media.
He told the media, “We have written… (on) those two areas, the EU, we have written Carter Center. Our position is very clear. The trade union movement has fought for one man, one vote in this country.”
Lewis said there are reports of irregular voters’ registration “such as a significant surge in registration at a single address in Ogle raises serious concern.”
GTUC, along with opposition parties People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), and Alliance For Change (AFC) have been calling consistently for a clean voters list as well as the introduction of biometrics, including fingerprint, to prevent fraud.
“GTUC is committed to safeguarding the democratic principles of one man, one vote and continues to push for this reform. GTUC has met with GECOM political opposition parties, PNCR, WPA and AFC and GECOM opposition commissioners, and has written to both GECOM and the government, and is awaiting responses,” he revealed.
They have also reached out to regional and international bodies and are expecting to meet soon. GTUC has vowed to pursue these reforms to ensure a fairer and more transparent electoral process.
It is their belief that the opposition political leaders and parties are on board with asking for the implementation of biometrics.
“The General Secretary of the PPP, while they were in opposition, when they were pushing Chairman Surujbally and asking him to leave office, they were saying that what they want is a enhance biometrics, right? They have asked for that. The parties that are in opposition now, they have asked for it too. So, what they all should do is to get together. Don’t tell us what can’t be done. Show us how it can be done,” he stressed.
Lewis urged that it is time to approach the National Assembly and ask for the laws to be amended.
(GTUC writes GECOM, govt., international partners on electoral reform)
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