GECOM quietly walks back on previous positions, Claims and Objections Exercise begins tomorrow

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was adamant just a short time ago that it was on the right path to Local Government Elections (LGE) as regards the nature of its Claims and Objection process and by extension its preparation for the Registers of Voters. GECOM had proceeded on a Claims and Objections Exercise last September in the run-up to an announcement of the now vacated date for LGE, March 13, 2023.

Opposition appointed Members of the Commission and a wide cross-section of Guyanese had contended that GECOM had proceeded on the wrong exercise, more suited for General and Regional Elections. With a new Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud and a determined Chairman Claudette Singh and People’s Progressive Party appointed Commissioners, the GECOM by majority remained persuaded it was on the correct course.

A statement from GECOM at the time indicated it had  “taken note of the disinformation that have been propagated by small groups of placard-bearing persons who were protesting in front of a few of the Registration Offices” of GECOM asking for the Official List of Electors (OLE). GECOM has said that the “placards displayed grossly inaccurate information”.

Now not only has GECOM had to postpone the date for LGE because of the missteps of the new CEO but had to embark on a new Continuous Registration Exercise as well and is now proceeding on its Claims and Objections Exercise from Monday February 13, 2023. The Offices of Assistant Electoral Registrars (AERs) have been established in each of the eighty (80) Local Authority Area (LAA).

During this exercise, any person who will be 18 years and older by the 22nd May, 2023, and is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, or naturalization, or is a citizen from a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more, can make a Claim to entry on the Register of Voters (RoV) on or before, as GECOM commence the preparation of Registers of Voters, for the conduct of Local Government Elections. A new date for LGE is yet to be announced.