Clean the Elector’s lists and Issue Voter ID Cards, says Electoral Reform Effort Group

The Group has generously estimated that the Electoral Commission needs not more than 200 persons working for 40 hours a week for eight (8) weeks (compared to the Electoral Commission’s six (6) weeks) to achieve the House to House Re-verification of Elector’s exercise. Without trying to set the rate for engaging persons beyond the Electoral Commission’s present staff of 110 people, we estimate that any additional costs should not be more than EC$ 380,000.00, if not already provided for in the budget to re-confirm electors resident overseas. The Group notes the Chairman of the Electoral Commission conceding on 22nd May 2019 that the proposed Registration of Electors (Amendment) Bill 2018 needs not carry the provision that registered voters resident overseas have to be confirmed at overseas locations.

The Group, therefore, repeats its 7th October 2019 appeal to the Electoral Commission: “In this light, the Group strongly urges the Electoral Commission to commence the immediate implementation of the Special Joint Mission’s recommendation, indicating to the Executive Branch of Government any additional resources necessary to implement these recommendations”. The Group repeats, ”Our country cannot afford civil unrest in the wake of a general election.”

The Group will, and by extension, the general public should therefore hold the members of the Electoral Commission accountable for gross dereliction of duty should the general elections be held without the appropriate and necessary reform, and civil unrest erupts in its wake.