Dear Editor,
The May 2015 general and regional elections have come and gone but several persons in the hinterland regions who provided transportation services to the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) on that day have not as yet been paid. In February 2016 three residents from the Mabaruma sub-region (Region One) approached me to assist them in getting their payments from Gecom. I tried my best by first visiting Gecom’s Chief Accountant’s office in Kingston many times but was unsuccessful to this day. I then sought the assistance of Gecom’s Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally by way of letter dated May 9, 2016. Dr Surujbally responded to my letter by way of letter dated May 11, 2016, in which he said, “I have forwarded your letter to the acting Chief Election Officer, Mr. Vishnu Persaud, since the substantive chief election officer, Mr. Keith Lowenfield, is on leave. Mr. Vishnu Persaud and/or Mr. Lowenfield (when the latter returns on May 25th from vacation) will investigate the matter raised in your letter and advise you accordingly.” To date Gecom has not addressed the payments owed to the three residents of the Mabaruma sub-region. This is disappointing. I therefore advised persons in Regions One and Nine not to provide transportation services to Gecom in the future unless they were paid up front.
Yours faithfully,
Peter Persaud