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GECOM is not short of polling day staff – PRO
Amid statements of concern expressed by one political party over the competence and complement of
GECOM’s PRO, Richard Francois
elections day staff, the local electoral body has categorically stated that to date, its reservoir of staff has almost completed training ahead of the May 11 polls.
Speaking to Kaieteur News, Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Richard Francois said that the claim that the electoral body is currently short of staff is not factual.
Francois was at the time responding to allegations made by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) at their weekly press briefing, held on Monday last, at Freedom House.
The party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee, had said that the PPP was made aware that there is a significant shortage of polling day staff in some regions and it is against that backdrop they are urging the electoral body to reopen the process to allow for persons who are “qualified and desirous of working” on elections day to apply.
The Party was of the belief that “situations like this can lead to the relaxing of requirements and accepting second standard choices and handpicking of persons” which it stated, that it was totally against since it may have dire consequences to the integrity of the electoral process.
The shortage, according to the PPP, existed in Regions One (Barima Waini), Six (East Berbice Corentyne) and “some others.”
At a press conference held last month, GECOM had said that it was short of some 1623 persons to work
PPP’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee
on elections day, but said, that the issue is bound to be addressed as the hiring process has not yet concluded.
Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield had said that the full complement of staff needed to adequately serve the 2,260 polling stations on May 11, would amount to some 12,000 persons who would be trained by the electoral body.
Providing this newspaper with an update, Francois said though there had previously been a shortage of 1600 staffers, those posts have already been filled. In fact, Francois said that the Elections Commission is currently wrapping up its training exercises for all staffers.
During a telephone interview, the PRO told Kaieteur News in no uncertain terms that no shortage exists and in fact, the body has a reservoir of people for the upcoming polls.
The PPP has since the prorogation of Parliament last November, been hot on GECOM’s trails as it offered criticisms for the body’s choice of Francois as PRO, its support of local youth body, the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC), as well as the use of information clerks, among other things.
The party has also made several request of GECOM, among them a call for an aggressive voter education programme as well as the public vetting of polling day staff.
The body and its Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally has since addressed each concern rising from the ruling party.
In fact, during a workshop the body held with members of the media, Dr. Surujbally had categorically stated that the entity will not serve as “the whipping boy” for any political party in the run-up to elections because of the party’s fear of losing the May 11 polls.
Regional and General Elections are slated for May 11 and GECOM has recently announced April 7, as Nominations Day when it expects all political parties that intend to contest in the May 11 polls to submit their respective lists of candidates.
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