Leading up to next general elections in Grenada, constitutionally due sometime in 2027, is the spirited dispute regarding ‘who is allowed to be registered to vote’.
This has always been a genuine concern, with many accusations of subtle wrongdoings about it, contrary to the Representation of the People Act (RPA), levelled at the major political parties as well as at the elections’ officials.
The concern takes more public attention this time around since it has been mooted that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) is heavily relying on foreign individuals and the Grenadian Diaspora to secure the next elections.
The powers-that-be, as well as well-meaning citizens, should not miss the occasion now to thoroughly address the prominent concern surrounding Entitlement to Registration, with the understanding that it grossly impacts Free and Fair elections.
Also to be taken into account is the criminal offence which comes with the violation of its statutory provisions.
In fact, the need to attend to this concern has been exemplified in the coherent recommendations of various Overseas Elections Observations Missions, to ease the ambiguity in interpreting the pertinent provisions in the RPA and to encourage accuracy in the applications of those provisions (principally sections 5, 6, 7 & 9, with amendments accordingly).
Those provisions stem from section 32 of the 1974 National Constitution, demanding “residence or domicile in Grenada” as a requirement factor for individuals who are desirous and requesting to be registered.
It is imperative that SoE Pierre along with the Voter Registration and Civic Education Officer, Mr. Ferdinand Phillip, pursue in good faith public fora on Voter Registration, as part of the so-called Public Education initiative by the PEO.
This community engagements beyond sectoral meetings should be seen as appropriate and approving, especially Philip claims during a media appearance with Pierre on 03 June 2026 that the PEO is interpreting and following the pertinent “legislative directions …. for the benefit of the general public”.
Such a forum must be designed to provide for ‘complete and proper’ considerations of the concern and supplemented with the production of pertinent pamphlets for wide distribution.
As it stands presently, the Supervisor of Elections (SoE), Mr. Authur Pierre, seems not to be ‘up to the task’ about satisfying admirably the eligibility criteria as legally stipulated for the registration of voters.
There is revealing evidence that Pierre has been trivialising the Registration process and is depending on the public to raise objections to the names of individuals deemed not qualified to be on the Electoral List.
In fact, he needs to clarify what is meant by “we cannot prevent persons from being registered. We do the registration, the objection would come, and then we do the investigation”.
This posture by the SoE brings into question what type of instructions is offered to the staff of the Parliamentary Elections Office (PEO) and to the Registration Officers in the various constituencies, in preparing for the elections.
The cursory response of Mr. Pierre on the media appearance, in seeking to “free up” the concern about “who can register”, by directly reading section 6 of the RPA but without referencing any related statutory provisions, is deceitful and misleading towards the general public.
Should it be judged that Pierre is grossly irresponsible and/or grossly incompetent in not knowing that section 6 has been amended by Act No. 13 on 02 November 2018?
As proffers in the earlier circulated article, Competence and Integrity of Grenada Elections Officials In Question!, is Pierre injecting consciously or unconsciously, NEGLIGENCE and CHAOS in the registration process, as well as in the voting process, for the upcoming elections?
The ‘passive and simplistic’ attitude of Pierre must not be taken for granted but needs confronting.
The attitude of SoE Pierre on the Registration process is not limited to being erroneous, but it extends as a betrayal against the democratic principles of Grenada.
What are some of the ways by which he has been erring and/or conniving in disseminating information about Registration, and thereby exposing his ‘competence and integrity’ in the sovereign role as established under section 35 of the Constitution?
The SoE/PEO must concede that it is not “dull and dreary” for the public to know about the status of the Computerised Voter Registration System (section 8, RPA) and of the procurement and installation of the new Identity Document Issuance System (IDIS).
Thus, “behind the scenes” developments and actions regarding those things should also be presented and discussed at the open fora on the Registration process.
Pierre fails to appreciate and to disclose that the RPA (CAP.286A) includes Subsidiary Legislation forming its First Schedule which consists of Registration of Electors Rules.
Part One of those Rules expands and explains the main elephant in the room; that is, RPA’s subsection (6d) about “ordinarily resident in that constituency”.
Section 6 of the principal Act, as well as Part One of the First Schedule, has been radically amended in 2018 with repeals, substitutions, insertions and new sections; some controversial.
Particularly, whilst the burden is on the individual, requesting to be registered, to show “Proof of ordinary residence”, there is the patriotic duty of the elections’ officials to ensure that the documents to establish ordinary residence, are authenticated by a Justice of the Peace (JP) who is on the ‘current and valid’ list of JPs consistent with The Magistrate Act (Cap 177) and that the Registration Officer undertakes due diligence and “is satisfied” with the application, before entering the individual’s name in the Computerised Voter Registration System (Rules 32 – 36, First Schedule) and on the Electoral List.
Significantly, a new inclusion in the Rules of the First Schedule speaks about fraudulent actions of which the SoE and other officers of the PEO, including Registration Officers, could be proven accomplices; this inclusion reinforces Rule 45 dealing with Penalty.
The new Rule states: “A person who – (a) fraudulently procures any of the documents under this Rule; (b) fraudulently assist in the preparation of a fraudulent document; or (c) knowingly present fraudulent documents to the registration officer for the purposes of this Rule (‘Proof of ordinary residence’), commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one thousand dollars and to a term of imprisonment for one year or to both.”
Similarly, Rule 45 states: “An employee of the Parliamentary Elections Office who wilfully and without reasonable excuse, omits from the current list, the name of any person entitled to have his name entered therein, or enters in the said list, the name of any person who is not entitled to have his name entered therein, commits an offence, and is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars, or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months”.
The SoE/PEO also operates erroneously and connivingly within the framework of the loopholes and deficiencies and subjectivity in the Electoral Process.
By this manner, ‘names are placed on the electoral list and voters’ ID cards are issued’ without due diligence, whether the individuals are qualified or not for registration, until an objection is allowed upon successful investigations.
The reality however is about the pretense and slackness in applying section 10 of the RPA (The right to remain registered), about the inadequacy and tediousness to process all claims, and about the non-revocation of an installed new government despite judicial reviews prove irregularities and breaches were in the elections.
It would be great for SoE Pierre to verify whether or not the bulk of the “more than two thousand (‘voter ID’) cards sitting in the electoral offices for persons to come and collect” belong to foreign individuals and Grenadians residing abroad, who have registered while on a short time in Grenada and remaining registered to vote without the ID cards.
Those individuals are now back to their ‘new established’ ordinary place of residence in another country.
Moreover, can SoE Pierre verify that he has judicially determined that none of those individuals have not “ceased to be ordinarily resident in Grenada for a period exceeding five years” (Subsection 10c) and are thus entitled to vote?
Instructive on the Registration process, including coping with Commonwealth citizens, is the Preliminary Report of the OAS Electoral Observation Mission for the general elections of June 23, 2022 in Grenada.
That is: “Voters’ lists are in a perpetual state of flux, and it is the responsibility of the electoral institution (‘SoE/PEO’) to ensure that the document is (‘supporting documents are’) as accurate as possible.
In order to strengthen the registration process, and as recommended in the reports published by the OAS (‘Organisation of American States’) for previous elections, the Mission recommends: − Amending the Representation of the People Act (RPA) to specify that where a Commonwealth citizen wishes to be registered, but does not possess the documents required by the RPA, a declaration from a Justice of the Peace can only be accepted if it accompanied by proof of a legal entry into the country issued by the Immigration authorities.
Inter-institutional collaboration between the PEO, the Immigration Office and the Civil Registry should also be encouraged, to promote verification of the information provided.
*Issuing regulations that provide clear rules and guidelines for Registration Officers in the correct conduct of residence verifications.
*Including the birth registration number of deceased persons as a unique identifier in the lists provided by the Civil Registry. This will facilitate the work of the electoral authorities in correctly matching and deleting the names of deceased electors from the Voters’ List”.
J.K.Roberts