Dear Editor,
The vexing question of the non-upliftment of voter ID cards has been before the nation for some significant period of time now.
is an unacceptable state of affairs in a fledgling democracy and those in charge at Gecom are accountable for this state of affairs. Is this due to a lack of funds to take the kind of initiative necessary to address this appalling situation?
I would suggest the following remedial actions:
1. Initiate the use of postal vehicles in the critically affected areas and accompany this with a list of names, dates and time of distribution of voter ID cards which should be published in all sections of the print media.
2. Generate a list of outstanding voter ID cards by registration officers in every affected district and ensure fair remuneration for the registration officers employed in this exercise. They are the best persons in Guyana to attempt to get these cards distributed because they were in direct contact with these individuals at the time of registration.
3. A list of names should be posted at central points in each administrative district for viewing by the public.
4. If relatives come forward and identify family members who might be out of the district due to work, dislocation, etc, appropriate measures can be put in place to address this and expedite the distribution of the ID card
These measures among others, must be initiated in a sequential manner for best coordination.
This way the wider community can get involved in alerting neighbours and friends whose names appear and help drive the process along. No amount of the peoples’ tax dollars must be spared to deepen the transparency of the electoral process in Guyana – of course with adequate accountability.
Yours faithfully,
Lionel Peters
