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GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Bartica United Youth Development Group (BUYDG) has written to the government and the opposition urging that prisoners be allowed to vote in elections in Guyana.
“All qualified persons, whether held under the presumption of innocence or after being convicted, pleaded guilty, sentenced to prison, held in any State custodians etc. are given the right to exercise their franchise at all lawful and constitutional elections and referendums held in Guyana,” BUYDG’s acting President, Kellion Leps, said in the September 17, letter.
The non-government organisation (NGO) said all individuals who are arrested, apprehended, detained, or held in any State custody during elections must “be given the full opportunity to exercise their right to vote”.
The letter was sent to President Irfaan Ali and senior members of the government, including Attorney General Anil Nandlall, as well as the Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, the Leader of the Alliance For Change, Nigel Hughes and the chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) retired Justice Claudette Singh,
The letter was also copied to the Guyana Human Rights Association, Guyana Bar Association, Guyana Trade Union Congress, United State Embassy, Amnesty international, International Labour Organization, Speaker of Guyana’s National Assembly, Margarette May Macaulay, the President Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and Fernanda dos Anjos of the Organization of American States.
BUYDG’s founder and former general president, Micah Williams, is serving a life sentence for raping an underage girl. His appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is pending.
Currently, Guyana’s constitution only prohibits convicts of election offences from voting, but remanded prisoners and convicts are not allowed to cast ballots in general and regional, and local government elections.
BUYDG said prison inmates, who are Guyanese citizens, must also be allowed to participate in the decision-making processes of the government, including consultations and input on constitutional reforms, submissions for modifications to new draft laws, and other related and other applicable matters.
It said that would help with their rehabilitation and smooth transition and integration into society and also restorative justice.
The BUYDG is also lobbying for systems systems to be put in place and established to allow political parties and their representatives to be given equality operative and adequate time to visit, speak with, and campaign among all inmates and persons who are held in any state custody.
It said that if necessary those Guyanese inmates must also be allowed to register and issued identification cards.
