Parliamentary Opposition members to meet with Supervisor of Elections

The members of the Parliamentary Opposition will be meeting soon with the Supervisor of Elections to discuss a proposal which should lead to significant reduction in the size of the voters’ list.{{more}}

Speaking on the New Times programme yesterday, Leader of the Opposition and President of the New Democratic Party Arnhim Eustace referred to a proposal made by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves to introduce legislation in Parliament to reduce the size of the list.

Eustace said Supervisor of Elections Sylvia Findlay had raised this matter with the Opposition last year.

“… by removing from the list those persons, mainly persons who are abroad and whose ID cards were issued about 10 years ago and they don’t have new ID cards. The proposal is to remove all those names from the list, and others who are on the list when they should not be there for other reasons,” the Opposition Leader said.

He said the proposal should see the removal of about 20,000 people from the list.

The Leader of the Opposition said the Prime Minister has proposed that the Opposition meet with the Supervisor of Elections to discuss the matter.

“…It is a matter we discussed before with her. She had raised it with us before. Then the Government and the Opposition are to meet sometime this month, to discuss an amendment to the Representation of the People Act, which will remove those names …,” Eustace said.

It is hoped that the amendment to the Act will be passed in January, 2015.

“I am presuming that is sometime after the Budget debate. That is the latest information that we have on this matter. We are doing our own internal checks on that matter, and I expect that sometime soon, we will be meeting with the Supervisor of Elections on this matter,” Eustace said yesterday.