Removal of residency requirement makes law consistent with Constitution – VP

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has poured cold water on the Alliance For Change’s (AFC’s) contention that the removal of the residency requirement from the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) and the National Registration Act (NRA) is a severe blow to democracy.

During its weekly press conference on Friday, AFC’s Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, lambasted the government for making those changes.

However, Vice President Jagdeo contended that the AFC’s claim “is a pure clown show that will rival any circus in the world.”

“…The explanation is when the Constitution removed that in 2001, the law is inconsistent with the Constitution of Guyana, so now that we have a ruling from the Chief Justice, the law has to be consistent, an ordinary law with the supreme law of the country, which is the Constitution of Guyana,” the VP explained.

As part of the government’s electoral reform agenda, following the March 2020 elections, amendments were made to the ROPA and the NRA.

As for the ROPA, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, said it would enhance, modernise and reform the democratic quality and architecture of our country and make our electoral machinery and the registration process and the compilation of the list of electors more transparent, more accountable and more effective.