The Guyana Elections Commission today warned members of the public not to remove lists of electors from polling places. It said over the past week it has encountered a serious problem with this.
It said that as statutorily required, GECOM has been posting the Official List of Electors at all of the Polling Stations which have been established across Guyana for the 2011 General and Regional Elections. This was carried out in the presence of the Agents who were appointed by the contesting political parties and accredited by GECOM.
“Over the past week, GECOM has encountered a very serious problem which involves persons removing the OLE from a very significant number of Polling Stations in … Georgetown and the coastland areas in particular”, the commission said. It warned that this is an offence punishable by law and one that could lead to “very dangerous outcomes”.
It noted that the OLE is posted at the respective Polling Stations to allow for persons to check for their inclusion in order that they could confirm where they will be voting on Election Day. “The removal of the Lists denies the voters this fundamental privilege, which could lead to unnecessary confusion and frustration on Election Day. Further, the replacement of the OLE at affected Polling Stations places additional and unnecessary burdens on GECOM and the Party Agents representing the Political Parties contesting the Elections”, GECOM said.
It called upon the entire citizenry to be vigilant in their respective areas of residence to guard against the removal of the OLE from Polling Stations.
