The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Thursday October 20 announced that more than 450,000 people are listed on the Official List of Electors (OLE) and that its preparations are nearing completion for the November 28 general and regional elections.
GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally
Speaking at a news conference at its headquarters, GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally said that the certified OLE is also available on the commission’s website and electronic copies of same have been issued to President Jagdeo, People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and opposition leader Robert Corbin, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) presidential candidate Donald Ramotar and all other parties. He said there are more than 475,000 names on the OLE, noting that eight names were posing some trouble to the commission prior to certification of the list.
“GECOM is committed to ensuring the elections are free and fair… We have gone a step forward; they have begun printing the OLE, 475,000 names comes up to many thousands of pages of hard copies. We are giving out no hard copies to political parties.” The OLE is being printed on specially designed watermarked paper made to the specifications of the commission.
He said members of the disciplined services will go to the polls on November 21, this is to facilitate their availability for duties on elections day. GECOM said that the lists of the persons within the disciplined forces are “almost ready”.
Ranks of the Guyana Police Force, The Guyana Defence Force, and the Guyana Fire Service are required to cast their votes one week prior to general elections. As it relates to security, the commission said that all arrangements are in place to beef up security at polling stations on Election Day.
“GECOM has posted on its website, all the forms associated with the submission of lists of candidates by political parties for contesting the upcoming general and regional elections, as well as an advisory to guide the parties in preparation of the forms which must be submitted on Nomination Day,” Dr Surujbally told the media.
He noted that there are currently 32 political parties which have shown an interest in contesting the elections, “our experience tells us that that number will decrease…” The chairman stated that those parties that are not knowledgeable will be assisted by the chief elections officer.
Training of staff
On the issue of staffing, Surujbally said that they have still not managed to recruit the requisite number of polling day staff, but is working to ensure that there are enough persons on board to ensure that elections run smoothly.
“We have been training polling day staff, refresher training… We are pretty sure that come elections day we will have a staff that understands the process, so that there should be no hiccups.
There was up to recently not a full quota of persons, because those who failed exams were struck off the register of applicants for the job, we have been testing and ensuring that we have the full quota and more just in case someone falls by the side, (or gets) ill on elections day,” he said.
Additionally, Dr Surujbally said its public information campaign is working overtime to ensure that all citizens are notified of the elections process.
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