Is GECOM prepared to successfully hold Local Govt. Elections?

Sep 07, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
The debate continues between the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the main parliamentary opposition, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), over the vital issue of the holding of Local Government Elections here.

The issue seems to be the readiness of a new National Register of Registrants (NRR) or voters’ list, to facilitate the smooth holding of the elections.

Earlier the PPP/C had said that the party was of the opinion that the elections could be held this year.
But I would like to ask the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the body tasked with producing the final voters’ list, about the cross matching exercise that has to be done to ensure that there was no duplication in the list. What is the present status of this process? Who will be carrying out this exercise? How long does such a process take to be completed?

Can GECOM tell us the level of its state of preparedness to successfully conduct Local Government Elections?

Apart from the cross matching process, the list would have to be verified by all stakeholders to ensure its authenticity. Wouldn’t this take up additional time?

The acceptance of the list by all the interested parties will then lead to the production and issuance of National Identification Cards to be used by voters when exercising their franchise. How much time will GECOM need to ensure that ID cards are properly distributed?

Let GECOM answer these questions first, then political parties should make an assessment of the real state of affairs as it concerns these elections.

Instead of picking on each other, political parties should let GECOM do its constitutional duty and inform us, the electorate if they are ready or not.

Winston Bobb

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