The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has completed the revised list of electors (RLE) for the upcoming regional and general elections, and this list will be posted to various electoral divisions and sub- divisions across the country.
GECOM’s Public Relations Officer Vishnu Persaud has stated that electronic copies of the RLE have been prepared for distribution to the political parties as well. This revised list of electors (RLE) will be available for public scrutiny up to September 30, 2011. Persaud said all concerned will be afforded the opportunity to check the RLE for the inclusion of especially the names of newly- registered persons, and to verify the accuracy of information pertaining to registration transactions.
Once this process has been completed and the revised list is fully sanitised, GECOM is expected to produce the final list of electors (FLE). This final list, or official list of electors, could be ready as early as mid-October this year. When published, GECOM Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally will inform President Bharrat Jagdeo that the elections commission in prepared and ready to host the elections, and will suggest a possible date for this. The onus is then left on the head of state to set and confirm the elections date.
Meanwhile, Persaud reported that GECOM is moving ahead with its nationwide series of two-day training sessions targeting personnel who will be employed to work on polling day throughout Guyana at the upcoming elections.
Dr Surujbally stated that the second leg in the series was conducted simultaneously on September 10-11, 2011 at 12 locations in Georgetown. The first leg of this exercise, which targeted East Coast and East Bank Demerara residents, was conducted on September 3 and 4, 2011.
Persaud also explained that GECOM’s distribution of National Identification Cards from all of its permanent registration offices across Guyana is ongoing, and will continue up to two days before elections day.
This includes the distribution of ID cards produced from both phases of the recent claims and objections exercise for the upcoming elections. Persaud alluded to the fact that all registrants who have not uplifted their ID cards are reminded to make every effort to collect their National ID Cards as soon as possible.