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2011 General Elections build-up…Returning Officers, clerks sworn in
As preparations for national polls gather momentum, managing entity of the process, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), has moved to appoint 10 Returning Officers (ROs) and 10 Election Clerks (ECs).
According to GECOM, it is but another major step forward in the preparation for the 2011 General and Regional Elections.
The workers took their Oaths of Office on Saturday in front of Gocool Boodoo, Chief Election Officer, at the Command Centre of the GECOM Secretariat, Kingston.
The Returning Officers taking the Oaths of Offices shown with (sitting from left): Keith Lowenfield - Assistant Chief Election Officer; Dr. Steve Surujbally, Chairman of GECOM; Gocool Boodoo - Chief Election Officer and Calvin Benn - Deputy Chief Election Officer.
The Returning Officers, who were respectively appointed to Guyana’s 10 Electoral Districts and
who took the Oath of Office (one Returning Officer to One Electoral District), were Mohamed Arjoon – Electoral District No. 1; Budhnarine Ramnarine -Electoral District No. 2; Farley Sobers – Electoral District No. 3; Jaigobind Mohabir – Electoral District No. 4; Inderjeet Persaud – Electoral District No. 5; Alfa Mohamed – Electoral District No. 6; Harry Persaud – Electoral District No. 7. Dwayne Marco – Electoral District No. 8; Ken Grant – Electoral District No. 9 and Ernestine Barker-Logan – Electoral, District No. 10.
The ROs are key to the smooth running of the elections and are tasked with multiple responsibilities, all aimed at contributing towards the holding of the elections in a free, fair and transparent manner.
According to GECOM, these responsibilities include being responsible to the Chief Election Officer for the proper conduct of the poll within his/her polling districts; maintaining close liaison and coordination with the Chief Election Officer and the Elections Secretariat and reporting to the Chief Election Officer through the Deputy Chief Election Officer and the Assistant Chief Election Officer.
The ROs are also tasked with supervising the work of the Deputy Returning Officers, Election Clerks and all other Election Officials within his/her Polling District and administering the Oath of Office to all staff members.
GECOM also explained that the ROs are also required to ascertain the total votes cast in favour of each list of candidates in their respective Polling District. This is done by adding up the votes recorded in favour of the respective lists in accordance with the relevant Statements of Poll. “Immediately thereafter, they are required to publicly declare the votes recorded for each List of Candidates.”
The Electoral Officers, who were respectively appointed to Guyana’s 10 Electoral Districts and
who took the Oath of Office were Mary Brown – Electoral District No. 1; Melissa Benn -Electoral District No. 2; Hemindra Kowlessar – Electoral District No. 3; Dexter Patterson – Electoral District No. 4; Simone Saul – Electoral District No. 5; Coreen Kum-Rose – Electoral District No. 6; Linden Adams – Electoral District No. 7; Shaunielle Jourdan – Electoral District No. 8; Immaculate Casimero – Electoral District No. 9 and Carol Browne – Electoral District No. 10.
An Election Clerk would be required to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the RO since, should the need arise, he/she will act in the place of the RO. The person is expected to provide general assistance to the Returning Officer, function as Office Manager and supervise the arrangements for pre-poll distribution and the post-poll collection, transportation and return of election equipment and documents, among other things.
Witnessing the ROs and ECs taking their Oaths of Office were Dr. Steve Surujbally, Chairman of GECOM, Calvin Benn – Deputy Chief Election Officer, and Keith Lowenfield- Assistant Chief Election Officer.
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