As the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) continues the preparations for the upcoming Local Government Elections, Chief Election Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield yesterday maintained that it was sticking to the letter of the law at every step.
“We adhere every step of the way to the letter of the law,” Lowenfield told a news conference at the GECOM headquarters at Kingston, where he gave an update on preparations for the polls. Lowenfield also sought to address recent issues of contention, including the challenge to the activation of eight new Local Authority Areas (LAAs) and the adjustment to 15 LAAs by the opposition-nominated GECOM commissioner Bibi Shadick as well as the process for the withdrawal of both candidates and nominators.
On the former, he said the process was done within the framework of the law.
According to Article 38 of the Local Authorities Act, he said, the commission by order may subdivide one or more electoral divisions to form constituencies for the purpose of elections.
The process used on Nominations Day was in keeping with the law, he also said, while noting that he was out in the field observing the process during the earlier part of the nominations process.
While people were looking for him and claimed he “made a disappearing act,” Lowenfield said, “I was within the confines of the jurisdiction.”
At the time when opposition-nominated commissioners and others, including the media, were trying to reach him, Lowenfield said, he had to go to a lawyer to obtain an affidavit which had to be submitted to the courts because GECOM was taken to court by Shadick.
He had to make time, he said, to defend the Office of Chief Elections Officer even while nominations were going on.
“I do not think any rational being would want to fault me if I want to provide a defence for the office of the CEO,” he said.
While he was with the lawyer, he explained, he did not take calls because he had other officers in place to deal with the issues.
Addressing a suggestion that the same “disappearing act” happened in 2015, Lowenfield said, “If you sick and you on you dying bed and you have to come out, it is unfair. I dare say it is a stupid comment for any rational being to make.”
The Returning Officers (ROs) on Nominations Day, he maintained, “were adhering every time to the letter of the law.”
Lowenfield said he receives about 550 calls daily from, not only commissioners, but other people.
If a commissioner cannot find him, he noted, GECOM has an administrative structure in place that includes a Deputy Chief Election Officer, and an Assistant Chief Elections officer that the commissioners or any senior manager can locate. GECOM has a structure from the CEO that extends to ROs, he said.
Commissioner Robeson Benn had told the media that Lowenfield could not be found on Nominations Day to issue instructions to ROs to accept affidavits of persons who wished to withdraw their names as candidates and nominators.
“We provided adequate timings for the day and all the subsequent legal requirements that speaks to defects of list, corrections to lists, approval of lists, and withdrawal of candidates from lists, all within that sequel,” Lowenfield said.
Notwithstanding all the measures taken, he said, PPP candidate Shafraz Beekham, of the Bloomfield/Whim Neighbourhood Democratic Council took him to court for the withdrawal of his name another party’s list.
“For the record, Mr Beekham’s name is not on anybody’s list,” Lowenfield said.
Deputy CEO Roxanne Prince-Myers noted that candidates were withdrawn in La Grange/Nismes, Canals Polder, Best/Klien/Pouderoyen, Bloomfield/Whim, and nominators were withdrawn from Tuschen/Uitvlugt, Canals Polder, Corriverton, Bloomfield/Whim and Crabwood Creek/Moleson Creek. A list from Wakenaam was also withdrawn by the People’s Progressive Party.
Meanwhile, Lowenfield said that in spite of all the challenges, legal and otherwise, a team of commissioners were putting together the materials required for the elections. “They should be returning shortly with our ballots and statements of polls, tally sheets, etc.,” he said.
Lowenfield reported that GECOM was finalising the locations for some 1,684 polling stations to be set up across the 80 LAAs, from which a total of 573,923 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the November 12th elections. Members of the disciplined services will be voting on November 2.
However, he noted that 174 of the 596 constituencies involved on this year’s polls will not be contested as only one party, or a voluntary group or a candidate would have made submissions to contest a constituency seat or seats says
Lowenfield also noted that all the symbols for those contesting the elections have been approved in keeping with the law.
On voter education, Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward said that the process, which will include the use of social media, is to roll out by next week.
The deadline for applications for local observer groups to monitor the elections is October 11th, she said. Information on eligibility, and forms for local observer groups are available on GECOM website.
October 21st has been set for the appointment of elections agents and the notice of poll is on November 2nd.
