“We are ready”

…GECOM says all preparations on stream for LGE

BY ALEXIS RODNEY

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has been making a rigid effort to get all of Guyana streamlined for the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) scheduled for March 18, even though it has commenced the printing of ballot papers.

This preparation includes the training of staff to work on elections day across the 71 Local Authority Areas, and the continued efforts to expand the voters’ education programme.

On Friday, GECOM’s Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally, along with its Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield and Deputy CEO Vishnu Persaud along with new Public Relations Officer (REO) Tamara Rodney met with members of the press to share the Commission’s level of preparedness for the much anticipated poll.

Local Government Elections has not been conducted in close to 22 years, the last being held in 1994. The GECOM team said it has been working tirelessly to see a smooth and transparent exercise come March 18.

Overview

GECOM’s Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally said that above all the points relative to the voters’ education programme, the electorate must be cognisant of one fact. “You are voting for a person whom you feel will best represent your interest. That has to the objective more than anything else. Once you stick with that, everything else is adjunctive are peripheral to that main point”.

Meanwhile, CEO Keith Lowenfield said GECOM has so far been able to satisfy all the requirements set out by law for the holding of Local Government Elections.

“We began and concluded our exercise of ensuring our register of voters was prepared and certified.

According to Lowenfield, GECOM has in its possession, a total of 523,831 electors on its certified electors list. However, even with this number, all of Guyana will not involve in the Local Authority Election process.

These are called the “no contest” areas. In four Local Authority Areas across Guyana, there is no contest, meaning only one particular political party or group has indicated its interest in participating in the LGE. These include the Crabwood Creek (CWC), Black Bush Polder (BBP), Kentyre Borlam and the Mocha Arcadia Neighbourhood Democratic Council.

Added to the Local Authorities Areas, out of the 508 constituencies, 149 have been declared no contest areas. However, while persons will be voting in the Proportional Representation (PR), they will not be participating in the First Past the Post system. Lowenfield said the Commission has addressed the issue, since it has implications for the production of the Ballot papers in those areas.

Ballots, Disciplined Services voting

With that in place, GECOM is now in the process of producing Ballot papers, which will be done in Montreal Canada. This is to ensure that the ballots are printed and returned to Guyana by the appropriate time. He explained that the format for the Ballot speaks to both the PR and the First Past the Post components.

As far as the Discipline Services ballots go, the CEO said GECOM has been engaging the Army, Police and Prison Services. He said there is a rigid training session which is in place to ensure that everything goes well on Discipline Services day. Members of the services will vote one week prior on March 18.

Meanwhile, Deputy CEO Vishnu Persaud said GECOM has been arranging meetings in all of the Local Authority Areas; however, this has not been reaping much success.

“We wrote letters to 96 civil society areas inviting them to arrange meetings with the local areas, only five have responded. We are on an all out campaign to provide information about LGE”.

Nomination day

Speaking on the Nomination Day procedure, Lowenfield reiterated that everything went well. From the 71 Local Authorities Areas, lists from parties, individuals and groups were received.

“Indeed on Nomination Day there were some issues relating to defective lists and those were corrected in the main. “In the main, this was done and at the end of the exercise, we received lists provided by parties, voluntary groups and individuals. We were also doing all the administrative requirements in the acquisition of the sensitive and non sensitive materials for elections”.