Gecom Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally renewed calls for assistance in implementing fingerprint cross referencing of registered voters when US Ambassador to Guyana John Jones paid a courtesy call on him earlier this week.

According to a statement from Gecom, Surujbally raised the issue with Jones emphasising how critical it is to the National Register of Registrants and the Final Voters List. Surujbally had previously issued calls for assistance in implementing the exercise.

Gecom’s preparations for the local government elections and the renewed cycle of continuous registration were among the issues with focus on continued assistance for the local elections body from the International Development Partners, as it builds capacity and tackle reform projects.
Surujbally and Jones also discussed recommendations contained in the reports of the Foreign and Local Observer Groups which monitored Guyana’s 2006 general and regional elections, in addition to the recommendations of the Commission and its Secretariat, the statement said. The recently concluded US elections was also on the agenda.

Surujbally served as an observer at the US elections with support from the USAID-Guyana office.