GEORGETOWN- A senior member of the coalition government here Friday said it was likely that fresh regional and general elections as mandated by the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) could be held later this year.
Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, led a delegation from the coalition government that comprises A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) to talks with representatives of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
“Today we were assured by the Chair and Commissioners that no timeline has been set and that they are working to see whether they will be able to hold elections this year, given the timetable which they have and the statutory requirements which they will ensure that they abide by,” said Lawrence, who is also the chairperson of the People’s National Congress (PNC), the biggest party in the coalition government.
“The Chairperson said she had indicated that they are working towards the end of this year to try to see whether the time-frame– all the things that they have to do: statutory and administration– will allow them to conclude on this matter of elections by the end of the year,” she added.
Lawrence said that during the hour long meeting, the delegation was given the assurance that no statutory deadline would be shortened and that data gathered from the July-August house to house registration process, which the High Court deemed not to be illegal, would be used.
