The Guyana Elections Commission time-table points to some time in August for the holding of the 2011 general and regional elections, but a few issues including the procurement of some items could set back the schedule.
Gecom’s Public Relations Officer Vishnu Persaud said the commission is working towards the last week in August, though he pointed out that preparedness hinges on how the next few months unfold. He cited procurement hiccups in addition to the issue of eligible voters without birth certificates as possibly affecting the time-table.
Referring to “political issues,” Persaud told Stabroek News on Thursday last that questions about persons who are not in possession of the source documents for registration have been popping up and could easily be a delay factor depending on what happens. He said that if the administration and opposition parties reach an agreement to have those persons registered if they are eligible to vote this year, Gecom’s work plan would have to factor in this component.
Persaud stressed that the registration of births was outside of the commission’s control, but observed that Gecom has peripheral responsibility. “This is out of our hands, but there are thousands of persons out there who were unable to register because they had no documents… they had no birth certificates and that is a requirement for registration,” he said.
There is a lot of speculation, he said “about our preparedness and when the election date is going to be,” adding that he can only say Gecom is on track. Gecom, he said, does not foresee any issue which can throw the elections in doubt. However, he continued, there are a few procurement issues which could throw them off but that they are not insurmountable; the problem comes if they have to go to tender for some items.
The claims and objections period is scheduled to commence on April 4 and conclude on May 20; this being the period to finalise the voter’s list and determine the official list of electors. Currently, the commission is training temporary staff to work in the various districts during this period.
Gecom has also sent off the fingerprints captured during the continuous registration exercise to an overseas agency to have them cross-matched, Persaud said, noting this exercise remains a critical part of the elections process. The results are expected in a few weeks’ time.
Gecom is also in the process of identifying locations to be used as polling stations, Persaud said, and will be making appointments as scrutineers very shortly. He said that parties making appointments outside of the commission’s scrutineers need to work out issues of payment.
Persaud noted that the commission time-table also includes the preparation of ID cards for new registrants who were captured during the recent cycle of continuous registration, and in addition he anticipated that the commission would likely see a fresh round of new registrants during the claims and objections period.
Security plans and logistical plans are also being fine-tuned by Gecom and other relevant authorities, he said. He stressed that voter education continues and that Gecom continues to roll out its civic and voter education plans.
Meanwhile, the commission is still holding some 50,000 ID cards which are to be uplifted, and according to him the commission would soon move to de-commission the old ID cards. He opined that until people are faced with a predicament they are not likely to pick up the new cards.
