AG urges critics to act on bloated voters’ list while legal window is open

Attorney General Anil Nandlall

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall says the opportunity is now for those who complain about a bloated voters’ list to act.
Speaking recently on the issue of voters’ registration, he insisted that the law already provides a clear mechanism to cleanse the register, while pointing out that the National Registration Act provides two periods each year when the register is closed and claims and objections commence.
He explained that the process allows for the removal of unlawful names and those who should not be on the list, while also giving eligible persons the opportunity to be registered. According to the Attorney General, that process is currently ongoing.
“I am calling on the PNC. I am calling on the APNU, and I am calling upon all those who have the tendency and the proclivity to allege that the registration lists and consequently the voters’ lists are bloated to go now and remove the bloat. Go to the registration centres across the country and rinse the list of the bloat,” he urged.
Nandlall argued that critics frequently claim the list is inflated by tens of thousands of names, but fail to act when the legal opportunity arises.
He said those same allegations are often repeated when it becomes politically convenient, despite the existence of a lawful process to address the issue.
“And here it is, the law is providing an opportunity to remove this bloat and I hope that the election observers who spoke about this in the report are hearing me. I hope they are hearing that I am calling on the opposition who told them that the list is bloated by tens of thousands. And I am calling upon them to go and cleanse the list now because the law now affords them an opportunity to do so,” Nandlall said.
The Attorney General maintained that once the current period passes, he will continue to refer to his public invitation as evidence that the opportunity existed and was not used.
According to Nandlall, the continued claims of a bloated list, without engaging the process provided by law, undermine the credibility of those making the allegations.
He said the integrity of the electoral process depends on stakeholders acting within the framework of the law, rather than repeating accusations without evidence or action.