Chief Elections Officer wants commission set up early
CHIEF Elections Officer, Mr Stanley Singh, is urging the early establishment of the Elections Commission so that the January 2001 deadline for the next national polls can be met. In a schedule laid out to meet a January 15 deadline next year, Singh commented that the Elections Commission needs to be set up by the end of this month so that work can get started properly. "The most hindering factor is getting the Elections Commission in place. We're skeptical to do preparatory work until the commission is in place," Singh told the Chronicle yesterday. He ruled out the possibility of the elections being called this year even if the commission was set up according to the proposal, but said Local Government polls were possible this year. The Chief Elections Officer said he has submitted to the government budgets for a referendum, the general elections and local government polls. He said it is for their perusal and a decision to be made as to which could be done. Local Government elections were last year postponed for the third time since 1997 and Parliament has ruled that these be held by the end of 2001. The programme set out by Singh's office also calls for setting up an Elections Secretariat by February 15 and legislative changes by the end of next month. The schedule visualises that a properly laid out and accepted plan of activity must be agreed to by the end of June so that by the end of December "thorough logistical arrangements...(and) the most suitable and competent polling day officials" can be in place. The programme sets out a three-month period for the recruitment, training and selection of officials. A source told the Chronicle that the two major parties, the governing People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/Civic) and the main opposition People's National Congress (PNC), will be consulting shortly on how this issue can be tackled outside of the constitution reform process under way. "We have to discuss...how we can take this issue outside of the constitution reform process so that it can be expedited," the source explained. The programme set out also calls for the newly-appointed Elections Commission and its secretariat to undergo an orientation process to familiarise themselves with the process, tasks and goals. Another two weeks should be spent identifying resource needs, quantifying requirements, setting out a timetable, a schedule of activity and the estimated cost. Tasks identified for completion by June 15 are the quantification of electors; voter identification documents; polling units, stations and officials; field management units and polling equipment and materials. An oversight committee set up to coordinate drafting of the country's revised 1980 Constitution has been mandated to establish a task force to consider the recommendations of the Constitution Reform Commission on the electoral system. (MICHELLE ELPHAGE)
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