Singh's election schedule possible - PNC, TUF
Two opposition parties, the PNC and TUF feel that the timetable for a January 2001 elections circulated by the Chief Election Officer, Stanley Singh is achievable. The ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP) last week reiterated its commitment to doing everything necessary to have the general elections by January 17, 2001 as is legislatively mandated. The United Force (TUF) leader, Manzoor Nadir believes that the two main parties have committed themselves to a January 2001 elections and will reach agreement on a process to do so. This, he told Stabroek News, could result in the articles of the Constitution requiring a referendum for their amendment remaining untouched until after the elections. There are eleven such articles. "Given the time that has elapsed, I want to believe that the two parties (the PPP and the People's National Congress (PNC)) expect to reach an understanding to forego the holding of a referendum). He posited that because the articles are not really crucial with the possible exception of one, two or three months could be freed for the general elections schedule if the referendum was bypassed. The article referred to as important is Article 1 which describes Guyana "as an indivisible, secular, democratic sovereign state in the course of transition from capitalism to socialism and shall be known as the Cooperative Republic of Guyana." The Constitution Reform Commission (CRC) has recommended and the Select Committee has approved that the reference to socialism be dropped and the name of the State be shortened to the Republic of Guyana in the revised Constitution. Lance Carberry, who led the PNC team on the constitution reform Select Committee, believes that Singh's timetable could be modified to accommodate a referendum. He told Stabroek News that while the timetable makes no allowance for the holding of a referendum, there could be a rearrangement of the scheduled tasks to allow for it to be held if necessary. Carberry, however, expressed concern about the need for reaching quick agreement on the electoral system. The type of electoral system would determine the structure of the Secretariat of the Elections Commission. There is already agreement in principle, between the parliamentary political parties, on the composition of the Elections Commission. One of the mandates of the recently set up Oversight Committee for constitution reform is the establishment of two task forces to address the electoral system and a constitution commission for human and ethnic relations. This committee is still to hold its inaugural meeting. The task force to look at the electoral system would be required to identify and recruit expert(s) to advise how the CRC recommendation that the upcoming general elections should have built into it proportionality as well as geographic and gender representativeness would be accomplished. Nadir said that he suspects this is why there has been no movement on the elections so far as the parties seem to be waiting to deal with this issue at the level of the task force. He recalled that at the time the Select Committee was appointed last August, it was agreed that the electoral changes would be fast-tracked to allow the constitution to be amended and then the arrangement transferred to the revised constitution. Observers believe that the disagreement between the PPP and the PNC as to whether or not local government elections should be held under the present constitution or a revised one hindered progress. With the government now accepting that local government elections would be arranged after the general elections, they believe that progress would be relatively easier. The work of the task force on the Human and Ethnic Relations Commission is expected to be less complicated now that the PPP and PNC have agreed in principle on its composition and functions. (Patrick Denny)
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