Peoples’ National Congress Reform (PNCR)’s General Secretary, and the nation’s Social Protection Minister, Amna Ally, has debunked claims made by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), that there will be a contamination of the National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB) if the data from the concluded House-to-house registration is merged with the database.
The PPP, through its Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, following the order to merge made by Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh, said that the integration of the datasets will only create headaches because it will delay the holding of regional and general elections.
“The planned merger of data…Will not improve the quality or ‘credibility’ of the database – rather it will further contaminate the National Register of Registrants and cause further delays in the holding of Elections.” The party noted.
However, Ally at a recent PNCR press conference hosted at the party’s headquarters at Congress Place, Sophia, told media operatives that the merging will not contaminate the register, as she endorsed GECOM’s decision while criticising the PPP/C’s Leader Bharrat Jagdeo.
“Bharrat Jagdeo makes loose statements at all times. I am not surprised that he has indicated that this list is going to be contaminated. The Chief Justice [Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire] ruled that House-to-House registration is legal and it is not unconstitutional. He [Jagdeo] must have forgotten that part,” she said.
Ally went on to state that GECOM is an independent body and therefore, the government nor the opposition can influence its operations. She said that because of this, only GECOM can make pronouncements of this nature. Ally threw her support behind the commission; endorsing its recent decisions.
“The House-to-House in not illegal and there is an NRR[DB], and therefore, GECOM has to know what they are going to do by putting the two together in order to come up with a credible list and I have full confidence in GECOM that they have the capability and the ability to produce such a list.” The GS said.
A statement from GECOM on August 27 (last Tuesday) said “after considerable deliberations” at the Commission on the way forward regarding the conduct of General and Regional Elections, Justice Singh at the Statutory Meeting of the Commission made several orders.
She instructed the following:
“1. House to House Registration must be brought to an end. As such, Order 25 of 2019 published in the Official Gazette should be amended for the exercise to conclude on 31st August, 2019 instead of 20th October, 2019.
- Based on the ruling of the Chief Justice on 14th August, 2019 that House to House Registration is not unlawful and is constitutional, the data garnered from that registration exercise must be merged with the existing National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB).
- In this regard, the Commission will move to ensure all arrangements for the publication of a credible Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) before commencement of an extensive Claims and Objections (C&O) exercise.”
