Latest update February 14th, 2025 8:22 AM
GECOM to seek Chief Justice ruling on certificates of employment
By Jarryl Bryan
Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has decided seek a ruling from Chief Justice, Ian Chang, on
Gecom’s Dr. Steve Surujbally
whether GECOM can indeed issue certificates of employments to polling day staff.
This is in a bid to ensure that the 3000 polling agents expected to be employed by political parties are allowed to vote even if they are posted outside of their districts.
GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, confirmed that the electoral body was preparing a brief which it would duly send to its lawyer.
It is expected that the lawyer would then prepare an originating summons, to be submitted to the Chief Justice for his ruling.
According to Dr Surujbally, while the constitution lays out that only GECOM staff can receive the certificates of employment, it also says that GECOM has the ability to make administrative decisions on the matter.
“We will leave it for the courts to decide.”
A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition has already expressed its concerns over the recent decision by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to not issue Certificates of Employment to polling day staff not under the purview of GECOM.
This has severe implications in cases when a political party would have to send a polling agent to work in one area when that person is registered to vote in another. The constitution only allows for someone to
Chief Justice Ian Chang
vote outside their registered area if they are employed by GECOM and are constrained by work to the respective station.
Calling it an act of disenfranchisement, Dr. Roopnaraine had stated that the party would not sit idly by and accept the situation, but intended to challenge the decision taken by the electoral body.
When contacted at the time, a senior official from GECOM had stated that the body was just following the legal tenets of the People’s Representation Act, which provides for the issuing of certificates to persons employed by the Elections Commission, not political parties.
Meanwhile, noting the tendency of polling staff in the past to leave the polling stations prematurely, Roopnaraine stated that robust arrangements have been made to ensure that Election Day staffers are properly trained and that it is expected that they will remain in place until the final count, even foregoing lunch.
“It will come down to our vigilance and tenacity on Elections Day.” He said.
AFC general secretary, David Patterson, who was also present, noted that so far all 2,260 polling stations have people assigned to them. He said that they were currently trying to get additional persons assigned to the stations. That way, he said, if something unprecedented should occur there is another person standing by.
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