Patterson stalling UN’s assistance to enhance security of GECOM’s database

Patterson stalling UN’s assistance to enhance security of GECOM’s database – PPP Commissioner

Nov 11, 2018 News

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (ret’d) James Patterson has been accused of delaying an offer from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) of technical assistance for the conduct of elections.
People’s Progressive Party (PPP) – nominated Commissioner, Bibi Shadick, told Kaieteur News that Commissioners on both sides are pushing for a discussion with the UNDP, noting that Patterson had cancelled a previously planned meeting.
According to Shadick, the UNDP has offered to provide information technology (IT) experts who will provide supervisory and other support for the security of GECOM’s database, the security of stored information and the secured sharing of information between GECOM and the General Register’s Office (GRO).
“The Commission wants the discussion with the UNDP, the Chairman took a unilateral decision without any discussion with the Commission, came in on the day when we were supposed to have the meeting and announced that we were not attending the meeting and he has advised the UNDP that he would not be attending the meeting,” Shadick recalled.
She said following prodding from the Commission, Patterson wrote a letter to the UNDP. She said that she can confirm seeing the letter, but could not say for certain that the letter was delivered to the UNDP.
“We asked for this. We need to meet. Chairman will you please say to the UNDP that you have issues that we would like to discuss their offer. That is what we had been saying. That process took more than a month for a letter to be written.
“After that we have not heard anything. We will keep raising it because we should have that collaboration from the UNDP. We could only benefit from it. It is more important now than ever,” Shadick said.
It would appear that the UNDP team should have already started its work ahead of the Local Government Elections (LGE), which will be held on Monday.
In May, the government announced that a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) team met with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, on the request by GECOM for provision of technical assistance in preparation for LGE and the 2020 General Elections.
The UNDP team consisted of Mr. Hassan Sesay, Senior Electoral/Political Affairs Officer; Ms. Fernanda Lopes, Election/Governance Expert; and Mr. Guillermo Kendall, Senior Political Affairs Officer.
The aim of the visit was to discuss with Williams the purpose of the Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) whose functions are to evaluate the current and electoral environment in Guyana, and assess the form of future UN electoral assistance.
The Government indicated that the discussion covered a spectrum of issues that will be dealt with in preparation for the Local Government and the General elections.
Those issues identified were the results tabulation process; developing the necessary software to expedite the process; the biometric instrument used at polling stations; verifications of electoral listings; and to ensure security at the polling stations.

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