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GECOM reports: All set for LGE polls today
– to fly some ranks from Iteringbang to cast ballots
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday indicated that all preparations are in place to facilitate a smooth process as thousands vote in today’s Local Government Elections (LGE).
According to GECOM officials, some 573,923 persons are eligible to vote using the 1, 676 polling stations which have been established in the 80 earmarked Local Authority Areas (LAA). There are just over 10,000 persons deployed by GECOM to conduct the elections.
“Everything is fully prepared. The ballot boxes have been transported to the hubs in various Regions across the country. We will start moving to polling stations by 3 a.m. and be ready to start the voting process by 6 a.m.,” said Yolanda Ward, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer.
GETTING READY: At LBI, GECOM officers were yesterday getting set for today’s LGE
There are heavy expectations among political parties and independent candidates that the low voter turnout for the Disciplined Services vote will be the trend for today’s polls, many sharing the view that work commitments may deter some voters.
While today is not a holiday, schools have been closed as some buildings are being utilised as polling stations. Also expected to vote today are some ranks of the Disciplined Services whose name did not appeared on the approved list to cast their votes on November 2.
Ward explained that the omission of the names was no fault of GECOM.
“The list that was generated for the Disciplined Services list was done in collaboration with the respective agencies. The list that GECOM received was from the police, army and prison who provided all the names, ID numbers and where they are stationed so we could have facilitated voting wherever they were. So if those agencies did not submit to us all the names of their officers, I don’t see how it is that it is GECOM’s fault,” Ward stated.
According to Ward, an officer who turned up was not on the Joint Services list and the voters’ list may mean that the person does not reside in a LAA.
“It could mean too that while they are registered, they do not reside in a Local Authority Area. We are talking about Local Government Elections. We are not talking General and Regional Elections. There are a number of areas around this country that are not Local Authority Areas. I am using Timehri as an example. I am using Amerindian Villages as an example. Those are not LAAs. If an officer resides in those areas that are non-LAAs, their names will not show on the Local Government Elections 2018 official list of voters,” Ward stated.
She stated that officers stationed at Iteringbang, in the Essequibo region did not get to vote because the plane carrying GECOM officials could not land due to weather conditions.
Ward stated that GECOM has offered to transport these officers to their respective LAAs to vote today.
On Friday, the three People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Commissioners complained bitterly about the lack of a Commission meeting before polls opened today.
Ward noted that GECOM Chairman Justice (ret’d) James Patterson took the decision not to call a meeting due to other Commissioners being out in the field visiting locations as part of a number of the ongoing operations to prepare polling places.
According to Ward when the PPP Commissioners made the request, they did not immediately state what the urgent issues were.
“At this critical juncture, the Chairman felt that the operation exercise in the field should take precedence to ensure a smooth process on Elections Day,” Ward noted.
GECOM has committed to declare the results of today’s voting by tomorrow.
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