41 1994 Guyana R01634

Date Printed: 11/03/2008 JTS Box Number: IFES 4 Tab Number: 41 Document Title: Guyana Election Technical Assessment Report: 1994 Local Government and Document Date: 1994 Document Country: Guyana IFES ID: R01634 I I I I GUYANA I Election Technical Assessment I Report I 1994 I LocalIMunicipal Elections I I I I I I I I I r I~) ·Jr~NTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ELECTORAL SYSTEMS ,. I •,:r ;< .'' I Table of Contents I GUYANA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 1994 I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 I. Background 3 I A. Local Government and Municipal Elections 3 B. Guyana Elections Commission 4 C. National Registration Centre 5 I D. Previous IFES Assistance 6 II. Project Assistance 7 A. Administrative and Managerial 7 I B. Technical 8 III. Commodity and Communications Support 9 A. Commodities 9 I B. Communications II IV. Poll Worker Training 13 I A. Background 13 B. Project Design 14 C. Project Implementation 14 I D. Review of Project Objectives 15 VI. Voter and Civic Education 17 I' A. Background I7 B. Project Design 18 C. Project Implementation 19 D. Media Guidelines for Campaign Coverage 22 I E. General Observations 23 F. Review of Project Objectives 24 I VI. Assistance in Tabulation of Election Results 25 A. Background 25 B. Development of Computer Model 26 1 C. Tabulation of Election Results 27 VII. Analysis of Effectiveness of Project 27 A. Project Assistance 27 I B. Commodity and Communications Support 28 C. Poll Worker Training 28 D. Voter and Civic Education 29 I E. Assistance in Tabulation of Election Results 29 VIII. Recommendations 31 A. Democratization and Civic Education 31 I B. Institutionalize the Guyana Elections Commission 31 C. Recodification of the Guyana Election Laws 32 D. Reconcile Voters Lists and Precinct Boundary Changes of 1990 32 I E. Computerize Operations of NRC and Maintain a Current Voters List 32 F. Institute a Program of Training for Members of the Elections Commission and Senior Staff. 33 I G. Institute Policy of Requiring Media to Provide Public Service Support 33 I Table of Contents, continued I Local and Municipal Elections Guyana, 1994 IX. List of Attachments 34 I A. Members and Staff of the Guyana Elections Commission B. IFES Team Profile C. Elections Commission Schedule for July 5 Election I D. IFES Presentation on Issues and Processes of the Election E. Election Checklist F. Inventory of Non-Expendable Commodities G. Election and Polling Officers Manual I H. Script of Training Video I. Typical Schedule for Training of Potential Polling Place Officers J. Sample Forms Used in the Electoral Process I K. EAB Press Release Concerning the Elections L. Radio & TV Scripts and Flyer for Registration Campaign M. Integrity of the Electoral Process, TV Address by Chainnan N. Media Campaign Summary Presentation I O. Guidelines for Media, Political Parties and Contesting Groups P. Statistical Analysis of Voters by Locality Q. TelephonelRadio Results Form I R. List of Contesting Groups S. Election Results T. Map of Guyana U. Newspaper Articles I V. List of Contacts I I I I I I I I I I ii I I Local and Municipal Elections Guyana, 1994 I GUYANA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS I 1994 I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I The first contested local government and municipal elections in more than two decades were held in Guyana on August 8, 1994. Elections were held in sixty-five local I jurisdictions and six municipalities to select representatives for Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and Town or City Councils. The number of seats on the Councils I varies from 12 to 30. Seats are allocated to parties or groups that contested the election I based upon the number of popular votes received. The Guyana Elections Commission (EC) is not a permanent body; its existence is I limited to the conduct of a specific election. It prepares the Preliminary Voters List, conducts a period of "Registration" and "Claims and Objections," then prepares the Final I Voters List, conducts the election and certifies the final results. The National I Registration Centre and its staff are at the disposal of the EC for registration of voters and the conduct of the election. There is no mechanism in place for the transfer of I information collected by the National Registration Centre to the Elections Commission in the period between elections. I IFES expertise was used in 1992 and again in 1994. In addition, IFES provided I paper for printing the Final Voters List, ballot paper, electoral stain, rubber stamps, a photocopy machine, air conditioners, TVIvideo tape playback, fax machine, fluorescent I lamps and other miscellaneous supplies. IFES set up VHF and HF radio networks for I communications between the EC central office and field offices. The poll worker training program undertaken by IFES included providing I assistance in developing the manual used during poll worker training and at each polling I 1 I Local and Municipal Elections I Guyana, \994 place. IFES produced a training video which was also used in training of election I officials. Official observers said, "Most polling place officials were found to be very familiar with the necessary voting procedures. The performance of polling officials was a I considerable improvement on their performance in past elections." I The IFES supported voter and civic education program provided a multi media campaign for "Registration," "Claims and Objections" and the election. Members of the I EC participated in public meetings and on radio and television talk shows to support the I voter information and education program. IFES developed media and political party guidelines for the campaign period. The guidelines provided limited free access by I candidates on radio, television and newspapers and procedures for use of paid political advertisements. The program was considered successful and accomplished short term I objectives. There is a need for a continuing in-depth civic education program. I IFES assisted the EC in the tabulation of the election results by developing a computer program to tally the results as received and allocate the Council seats to the I contesting groups. Total voting participation was 47.91%. Voting participation in Georgetown was 33.37% whereas in most other areas it was in the high 50's and 60's I with some more than 70%. Georgetown voters represent approximately 23% of the total number of eligible voters in the country. I In summary, the IFES team contributed valuable expertise to the EC and NRC I which was appreciated by the EC and the senior staff. The commodity support provided was needed; it would have been difficult to conduct the elections within the time frame I without this support. The assistance provided in the poll worker training helped introduce standardization of the procedures at the polling place and clarification of I interpretation of the electoral laws. The voter and civic education program was very I effective, however the low participation rate in Georgetown is an indication that a long term project is needed in this area. I I 2 I I Local and Municipal Elections Guyana. 1994 I I. Background I A. Local Government and Municipal Elections I The first "free and fair" elections in almost three decades in Guyana were the I national and parliamentary elections held in October, 1992. As a continuation of the democratic process, local government and municipal elections were held in August. 1994. I These represented the first contested local elections in Guyana in more than twenty years. 1 The 1980 Constitution of Guyana stipulates in Article 71 that "Local Government, as a vital aspect of Socialist Democracy, should be so organized as to involve as many I people as possible in the task of managing and developing the community in which they I live." Guyana is divided into 10 Regions. A local authority council, the Regional I Democratic Council, is elected to administer the affairs of each Region-·-excluding the six towns or municipalities, Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Linden, Corriverton, Rose Hall I and Anna Regina. Each Region is further subdivided into Sub-Regions, then into Districts, into Communities, into Neighbourhoods, and then into People's Cooperative I Units. I Elections were scheduled in sixty-five local jurisdictions (Neighbourhood I Democratic Councils) and the six municipalities. Other than in towns or municipalities, the primary local government authority is the Neighbourhood Democratic Council. I These Councils have authority similar to a Village or District Council. The number of members or seats in a Neighbourhood Democratic Council varies from a minimum of 12 I to a maximum of 18, depending upon the size of the community. The number of seats in I Town or City Councils varies from 12 to 30. Georgetown, with a population in excess of I 3 I Local and Municipal Elections I Guyana, 1994 190,000, has thirty seats, while the town of Rose Hall, with a population of I approximately 6,000, has 12 seats on its Council. I A list of candidates, not less than the number of seats on a Council and not exceeding 10 more of that number may be submitted by a group, 50 persons in a I Neighbourhood or 60 persons in a Town, wishing to contest the elections. Based on the number of popular votes received, seats are allocated to parties or groups that contested I the election. The Council at the first sitting elects it's Chairman and Vice Chairman for a I Neighbourhood Democratic Councilor the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for a Town. B. Guyana Elections Commission I The powers, privileges and authority of the Guyana Elections Commission are prescribed by the Constitution. Additional functions are assigned to the Elections I Commission (EC) by the Representation of the People Act.

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