GECOM ads raise PPP’s eyebrows

Mar 04, 2019 News

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) voted two weeks ago on three motions. One of them resolved to allow GECOM’s Secretariat to continue with its “normal” work programme as it was before the passage of the no-confidence motion.
It was noted by Commissioners representing the government, and has been proven true, that this work programme included house-to-house registration.
Yesterday, several advertisements appeared in mainstream media from GECOM. Among them was an advertisement for Assistant Registration Officer for house-to-house registration.
Yesterday afternoon, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) released a statement from its GECOM commissioners.
It read, “We note, with great concern, several advertisements for vacancies at the Guyana Elections Commission, which appeared in the newspapers of Sunday, 3rd March, 2019. These vacancies relate to personnel required for the conduct of House to House Registration.”
PPP is contending that the Commission has not taken a decision to commence House to House Registration and “as a consequence, these advertisements are perplexing, at best.”
The statement continued, “This comes in light of the impending need for the conduct of General and Regional Elections, mandated by the successful passage of a no confidence motion in the National Assembly on the 21st December, 2018.”
“Despite our repeated requests, both within the Commission and publicly, for the Secretariat to commence preparations for the conduct of elections, no step has been taken in this regard. Instead, one excuse after the other has been proffered as for the delay on such commencement. The latest excuse of funding is, in our opinion, a contrived attempt to cause further delay. We maintain that House to House Registration is not necessary at this time. There are several legally prescribed processes for the revision of the electoral roll to enable the conduct of elections. These processes ought to be utilized in light of the constitutionally mandated timeline for the holding of the elections aforesaid. We view this action of the Secretariat as a flagrant disregard of its mandate enshrined in the Constitution. In light of the foregoing, we call on the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission to immediately withdraw the advertisements and with similar immediacy, commence the preparation for the conduct of elections in the manner and time specified by law.”

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