Political parties to get copies of final voters’ list next week

TIMES INT'L

Political parties contesting the 2011 Guyana general and regional elections will each obtain copies of the final voters list from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) next week.

This announcement was made by Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, at his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday. Dr Luncheon said the Office of the President was reliably informed that elections preparations are moving according to plan, and each political party contesting the elections would receive a hard copy of the Official List of Electors (OLE).

“The revised list has been circulated to 17 political parties that have indicated their intention to participate (in the elections), and GECOM has advised that the OLE would be printed and, within one week’s time, (GECOM) would also be distributing hard copies to participating parties at the general and regional elections,” Dr Luncheon told the media.

General and regional elections are constitutionally due by December 28, and GECOM has indicated that it would be ready to conduct that exercise by November 14. President Bharrat Jagdeo is expected to announce a date for elections sometime before GECOM’s identified readiness date. A 30-day notice must be given before electors are called to the polls.

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate Donald Ramotar recently expressed unease with elections being held in December. But he said, “If (December election) is unavoidable because of the nature of the situation and the time of the situation, then we have to have it. I don’t think it is desirable, and I myself do not like it…”

Meanwhile, Dr Luncheon said Cabinet is aware of GECOM’s concerns relative to the quantity of personnel available for polling day. He said government has noted GECOM’s concern, but was assured that there would be a full complement of staff by the end of October.

GECOM recently stated that it was in need of some 2000 additional workers for Region Four on polling day.

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