The Guyana Elections Com-mission (Gecom) has decided to embark on a new cycle of registration from December 1st and this has attracted the ire of the main opposition APNU, which sees it as a tactic by the ruling PPP/C to delay general elections.
However, Gecom sources have refuted the claim of any influence in its decision, saying that not only was the decision made unanimously but that the continuous registration cycle has been a part of its procedure and schedule for the last three years.
Gecom also disclosed that it tolf private sector representatives during a meeting this week that it is ready to “efficiently and effectively manage elections,” should they be announced at short notice.
In a statement yesterday, the elections body said it had decided that a new Continuous Registration exercise should be undertaken at a statutory meeting weeks ago.
It added that it was quite amusing that PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee, aware that Gecom was about to commence another continuous registration exercise, should use his recent press conference to ‘demand’ that it embark on a new cycle.
Questioned on the cost attached to having a new registration cycle, Gecom’s Public Relations Officer Richard Francois said that he was not aware.
The PPP’s General Secretary has consistently said that his party was not satisfied with GECOM’s readiness for both local and general elections and has been calling for reforms and a new registration cycle.
An opposition-nominated Commissioner of Gecom confirmed to Stabroek News that the decision on the new registration cycle, had been a unanimous one. “We made the decision. This has nothing to do with what Mr. Rohee or the PPP or anyone for that matter says. As of for the past three years, we have always had two registration cycles. In the year, we had one earlier and we move into the next…,” the Commissioner said.
APNU, meanwhile, rejected the move by Gecom and urged government to go to the polls using the current list. “APNU vehemently rejects this call and calls on the Government to stop the quest for buying time and hold General Elections now. With the release of the Official List of Electors (OLE), Guyana is ready for elections since this is the roll that is needed to hold any General Elections,” it said in a statement.
It urged Gecom to establish its readiness for elections and called on the government to use the present OLE and “let us go to the polls.”
APNU’s Leader David Granger yesterday said that his party was prepared for the polls and reiterated that with the prorogation of Parliament by President Donald Ramotar on November 10 he would not have talks with the president on any issue. “It is an absolute requirement for him to reconvene the Parliament …(otherwise) I, David Granger and Donald Ramotar will not engage in any talks,” he said.
The president has said that if attempts at dialogue fail, he would call new general elections.
Granger said that while the president sent a formal invite on Tuesday for talks, he has not replied to the letter but is considering it, though he does not have a timeframe for this.
Granger said too that although his position not to talk remains constant he cannot stop members that form APNU’s coalition or the Alliance For Change from engaging the president or government.
The coalition also stated that yesterday morning Chief Scrutineer Amna Ally had been summoned to a meeting at Gecom. A source at Gecom said that the meeting was held to inform Ally of the new registration cycle.
Efforts to contact Ally were futile.
Gecom also met with the Private Sector Com-mission (PSC) on Wednesday to discuss its preparedness should an election be called, given the current prorogation and political impasse and a source present at that meeting said that the business body was satisfied.
“We were concerned about some of the things we were hearing, reading in the media and so on, you know, about a series of issues: ‘If they ready, the voters’ list things like that,’” the PSC source said.
“Let me tell you, we are convinced all the foolishness you are hearing from this one and that one none of it is true. I think if the President was to call elections now, Gecom has what it takes to be ready and allow for a smooth process,” the source added.
Gecom said that it is fully prepared to start the seventh cycle of the continuous registration from Monday, December 1, 2014, where persons 14 years or older on a date to be prescribed may get registered.
Gecom says that Guyanese, by place of birth, descent, naturalization or Certificate of Registration, as well as, citizens of Commonwealth countries who are legally resident in Guyana for a period of no less than one year preceding the qualifying date, are also eligible to be registered during the registration cycle.
