Latest update April 9th, 2025 12:59 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Urgent clarifications demanded of GECOM

Apr 29, 2015 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Please permit me to seek some urgent clarification from the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Mr Keith Lowenfield, on a few critical issues.
Polling Day Staff (Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Poll Clerks, Ballot Clerks and Information Clerks) were all told that if they are employed to work in one electoral district but are registered in another (for example, if I am registered in District 10 but living in District 4 and working as a Polling Day staff in District 4);
1. They will NOT be given Certificates of Employment; and
2. They will NOT be able to vote as proxies.
Subsequently, some Deputy Returning Officers have told a few Polling Day staff that they will be allowed to vote as proxies, but this revelation is kept almost classified. Other Deputy Returning Officers are telling their staff that such persons will have to either forfeit their vote for the Election Day job, or just commute to wherever they are registered to vote, and forfeit the Election Day job.
These realities require urgent addressing. The Guyana Elections Commission has a mandate to enfranchise every citizen who is of age to vote, and if Polling Day staff are required to forfeit their voting at the behest of the Guyana Elections Commission, then the Commission is operating in contravention of its own reason for being. This is untenable, and it renders the Commission unfit to hold elections.
Considering the fact that proxy applications and appointments must be made no later than 10 days before Election Day, you must address this issue immediately, Mr CEO! And if Polling Day staffers are unable to apply to vote as proxies before the deadline, you and your Commission will have to relax that deadline to facilitate these persons. After all, it is your Commission’s rule that makes it clear that persons employed by the Commission on Election Day qualify to vote with Certificates of Employment and as proxies. So for the memo to have been in circulation informing such persons that they would not be able to vote as proxies is already an untenable blunder on your part. Now fix this immediately! Thank you.
Tabia Drakes

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| April, 7th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Berbice ease past Demerara in low-scoring match 

Berbice ease past Demerara in low-scoring match 

Apr 09, 2025

2025 GCB Female T20 inter-county tournament  Kaieteur Sports – It was a stroll to victory for the Berbice women who destroyed Demerara by 8 wickets yesterday when action in the GCB senior T20...
Read More
Upper Demerara suffer 8 wicket loss as Lakeram stars with bat and ball 

Upper Demerara suffer 8 wicket loss as Lakeram...

Apr 09, 2025

Joshi is the new National 2025 Women’s Chess Champion

Joshi is the new National 2025 Women’s Chess...

Apr 09, 2025

Kares Engineering renews title sponsorship of One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast

Kares Engineering renews title sponsorship of One...

Apr 09, 2025

Harpy Eagles looking to put old rivals to bed, with path to title retention clear 

Harpy Eagles looking to put old rivals to bed,...

Apr 09, 2025

Windsor Estates reigns supreme at AmCham Golf Classic

Windsor Estates reigns supreme at AmCham Golf...

Apr 09, 2025

Features/Columnists

  • The geography of pettiness

    Kaieteur News – You have to admire the commitment. Not to international diplomacy, mind you, but to the art of the... more

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]