The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday said that it had answered all of the issues raised by the opposition PPP/C in relation to the long-awaited upcoming local government elections and voiced consternation at the party’s continuing focus on the ethnicity of election workers.
At a press conference held at GECOM’s office in Kingston, Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally revealed that during a meeting between the commission and a PPP/C delegation on November 3rd, General Secretary of the party Clement Rohee “wanted to know the ethnicity of those 12,000 plus people. This is not something I am making up ladies and gentleman this is what is on a tape as I said I understand a political party saying ‘you know I am, a little bit worried about that’ but prove to me that this person has done something really badly that would impact upon the results of an election.”
He brushed aside the complaints by the PPP/C prior to the May General and Regional Elections on this same matter, noting that no names were ever submitted of election workers to GECOM that the party wished to have the commission investigate. The party however had taken to public press conferences to voice constant concerns with prior party affiliation of GECOM staff who were hired for the May elections.
He said that some polling day staff may have worked as party polling agents in the past noting that a list was handed over to GECOM with roughly 50 names. “They worked as party agents in 2011, now I have to tell you that disturbs me in some way if I am a political party and I am seeing people working at GECOM that are, that have worked before with a party it is worthy of concern no questions, but I need those (names) not after the election I need those before the election,” he stated.
Surujbally proclaimed that “we have a procedure we have a process. We do not employ Afro-Guyanese and we do not employ Indo-Guyanese we employ Guyanese that’s it you got to be good…”
The Chairman noted that should there be moves made to ensure through quotas that there is a stringent ethnic balance of employment it would have to be done under a different GECOM chairman.
The PPP earlier in the week expressed its disappointment at the meeting on November 3, stating that GECOM failed to address key concerns.
Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield told yesterday’s press conference that an electronic copy of the Preliminary Voters List for the nine municipalities and 62 Neighbourhood Demo-cratic Councils was provided to the PPP/C following queries on whether voters were placed in the correct constituencies. “I provided him (Rohee) there and then with an electronic copy of all the listed voters in all the constituencies in all the local authority areas in Guyana. He was provided that soft copy at the meeting, subsequent to that I think the following day he called, his office called to say look Keith I need a hard copy, I said you’re talking thousands of pages what they requested at the meeting. I provided in hard copy, every page, of every constituency across the country so he has. I even said man we cutting down many trees, but we providing the hard copy at his request.”
The tone of the press conference while heavy was lightened when the Chairman interjected telling the CEO he shouldn’t be admitting to cutting down trees, “You can get licks for that to say you cutting down trees. We are in an electronic age…but it goes to show even behind my back, it goes to show we bend over backwards. We try
to accommodate we really do.”
Surujbally said that at this point he could think of no other reason for the PPP/C’s constant attacks against the entity than an attempt to “embarrass” GECOM.
The Chairman noted that during the meeting Rohee asked of the commission what the process would be to deal with an estimated 70,000 transfers that would be requested during the Claims and Objections period. In exasperation, an animated Surujbally stated “ladies and gentlemen 70,000 transfers ..which persons would be likely to apply for? It is very difficult to answer a question like that sanely with gentleness.”
The CEO ran through the eight points of contention that were raised by the PPP/C during the
meeting and later expanded upon by the party at their weekly Monday press conference.
Lowenfield said that the PPP/C had queried whether the period for claims and objections was adequate. The CEO said that he responded by pointing out that whereas the custom had been 28 days with 21 for claims and objections and a further seven for objections, the duration for the current exercise is 35 days: 28 for claims and objections and a further seven for objections.
Lowenfield said that the party questioned how events next year such as the 50th independence anniversary will likely affect the Local Government Elections, “as far as the timing we are competing with everybody else and I remember saying very clearly `look Gecom is charged with the conduct of elections. Our role is the conduct of elections other departments of government of other activities have to do whatever they do. We will not let that thwart whatever we have to do relative to our preparations.’”
He noted that an explanation was given as to why February 29, 2016 was given as the qualifying date to determine persons who would be 18 years and over and thereby eligible to vote. Lowenfield said that it was the practice for the last day of the month preceding the month fixed for elections to be used as the qualifying date.
The CEO noted that following the party’s request, a map showcasing demarcated boundaries of the various municipalities was provided on November 6, three days after the initial meeting and three days prior to the party contending that the maps were not sufficient. Lowenfield stated that the maps still needed to be revised to indicate the changes made to Bartica and Woodlands/Bel Air municipality and NDC.
Deputy CEO, Vishnu Persaud noted that GECOM’s subsequent publications pertaining to the Claims and Objections period as well as the registration and sub-offices along with the electoral registrar and assistant electoral registrar for each local authority area in the dailies was mentioned at the meeting between GECOM and the PPP.
He also stated that the party was made privy to what GECOM was already doing as it relates to grass roots education.
The PPP in a press release had accused Surujbally of being “defensive and evasive in respect to questions and clarifications sought by the delegation.”
The party said there were eight issues on which it had concerns, including the period for claims and objections versus a new cycle of continuous registration; the non-availability of lists for each constituency for use during the claims and objections period; the non-availability of sketch maps showing each constituency with clear lines of demarcation; voter education; and the status of preparation of NDCs for local government elections.
