The Guyana Elections Commission has agreed to meet this afternoon with the chief whips of the government and the opposition on GECOM’s readiness for the holding of general and regional elections, triggered by a no confidence motion against the government, said Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward.
The decision was taken last evening after the commissioners deliberated on an oral and written report by Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield made to them on feasible timelines for the holding of national and regional elections, based on operational and legal provisions.
“He presented to them what the feasible timelines are based on the operational and legal things that has to happen for the conduct of any elections. He presented those options to the commission this morning for them to deliberate.”
Ward told the media that was awaiting the outcome of GECOM statutory meeting, which was reconvened yesterday, outside the head office in Kingston last evening that Lowenfield made the presentations during the morning hours. The morning session was adjourned to 4.30 pm for the commissioners to deliberate on Lowenfield’s report.
Ward said, “Even if the commission has arrived at a position this (last) evening, as to the likelihood of when an election can be held or GECOM can accommodate the conduct of an election, I do not think that information will be communicated to the media tonight (last night).”
She said it was for the commissioners to have a definitive position as to what they will communicate to the government and opposition chief whips, who asked to meet with GECOM on its readiness for the conduct of the elections.
For GECOM to communicate that to the media before informing the chief whips, she said, would not be in keeping with protocol.
The meeting of Government Chief Whip Amna Ally and the Opposition’s Chief Whip Gail Teixeira with GECOM is in keeping with an agreement by President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo on GECOM’s readiness for elections.
At yesterday’s meeting, it was expected that government-nominated commissioner, Vincent Alexander was to put to the commission his proposal for house-to-house registration in keeping with an agreement that it should be held every seven years to cleanse the voters’ list. His argument is that the list is bloated and it includes a number of dead people.
The opposition-nominated commissioners have been arguing that given the approval of the no confidence motion against government which triggered the need for elections in keeping with constitutional provisions, given the smooth conduct of the local government elections on November 12, 2018 and that the voters’ list will be valid until April 30, there was no reason for delaying the holding of the elections.
