GECOM to publish Preliminary List of Electors

Having completed the 7th Cycle of Continuous Registration, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) stated that preparations are underway for the publication of the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE).

The GECOM Secretariat is currently conducting a thorough fingerprint cross matching exercise as it analyses the fingerprints of registrants on both the existing National Register of Registrants as well as applications for new registration and new databases to eliminate multiple registrations.

When this exercise is completed, the PLE will be produced.

Persons are urged to check the extracts of the PLE which will be displayed in their respective communities to ensure their details are accurate.

If not, persons are required to apply for registration, change, corrections, and transfers during the Claims and Objectives exercise as may be necessary.

The Commission now awaits the announcement by President Donald Ramotar of the date for General and Regional Elections. The announcement of the dissolution of Parliament and General Elections are yet to be made by the president.

During an interview with Guyana Times International in December, the Head of State was pressed for clarity on a timeline within which a date will be set for a return to the polls.

The President noted that the proclamation will be made before Mashramani celebrations. Once a date is set, political parties will move into campaign mode.

Also, once a proclamation announcing a date is made by the President for General and Regional Elections, constitutionally, GECOM has three months within which to deliver.

President Ramotar’s decision to call General and Regional Elections in 2015 has received the support of civil society, with the exception of a few.

Former Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Clinton Urling, who now heads the newly-formed social change advocate group Blue CAPS, had offered his commendation to President Ramotar.

Urling told GTI that though the President should have named a date for elections, no longer can the country endure gridlock at the level of the National Assembly as the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) engage in a struggle for power at the expense of the electorate.

The results, whether it favours the ruling PPP/C or the Opposition, should be respected even if it returns a minority Government to power.

According to Urling, if the electorate votes another minority Government into office, it is clear that they are calling for “inclusive power”, and political parties should put aside their individual agendas and work in the best interest of Guyana.

The PPP/C has won every election since entering office in 1992; however, during the 2011 elections, it returned to power with a minority, with the Opposition dominating the National Assembly.