The Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) is defending its ongoing preparations for elections, while also cautioning political parties against deliberately spreading misinformation.
In a three-page statement issued yesterday in response to the continued “sermonising” by the ruling PPP over the way the Gecom Secretariat should function, Gecom yesterday also announced that it would be embarking on a new national continuous registration exercise.
Although the announcement of the new exercise came just days after a new public call by the PPP for Gecom to conduct a new registration exercise, the commission yesterday suggested that the party was aware of its decision to proceed in this direction, which was decided weeks ago.
Gecom, which registered its “deep concern over” the ongoing lectures by PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee on a range of issues, also urged all political parties to be responsible in the way they choose to communicate publicly and to refrain from duplicity and deliberate misinformation. “…because in a futile attempt to embarrass Gecom, they would be displaying their own disingenuity and lack of credibility,” it added.
In addition to a demand for continuous registration, the need for more transparency in the recruitment of election day staff was also among the issues raised at the most recent PPP press conference on Monday. It was there that Rohee charged that while Gecom had started training recruited staff, many young, educated persons who had applied never received a response.
Rohee also noted a re-advertisement for some posts he stated that the PPP hoped that a more open and transparent process to shortlist and recruit staff would be used so that the electoral machinery can be outfitted with suitably qualified and competent persons.
But Gecom noted that over the last six weeks, it has embarked on a rigorous training exercise nationwide, in an effort to establish a reservoir of competent staff it can mobilise on short notice for election day.
It said numerous advertisements for the various levels of polling day staff were published in the media prior to the commencement of training, and suitably qualified persons satisfying the requirements outlined by Gecom, were encouraged to apply for the positions for which they are best qualified.
“The best and most appropriate candidates were selected,” it maintained.
Gecom added that training began with the training of managerial staff consisting of Returning Officers, Deputy Returning Officers, Election Clerks and Clerical Assistants.
It further added that it is currently engaged in training the remainder of the required election day staff, which consists of Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Poll Clerks, Ballot Attendants and Information Clerks. However, it said that in light of the small number of persons who applied to be part of this reservoir of trained election day staff, it had some time ago decided to re-advertise in the media. “Not only will the training period will be extended, but GECOM will continue with its training, retraining and further training exercises as has always been the case prior to elections,” it also said.
Addressing the PPP’s calls for a countrywide voters’ education programme, Gecom said it is acutely aware of the need to conduct civic and voter education campaigns before, during and after a new continuous registration cycle and, in particular, before an election. “This component forms a critical part of the Gecom’s election plan and will commence at the opportune time,” it said, while adding that a number of communication channels will be employed to ensure that the key messages enshrined in its civic and voter education programme are communicated efficiently and effectively to all key stakeholders, resulting in greater voter intelligence and understanding. “Further, it is at best speculation and at worst spurious to make the quantum leap by asserting that spoilt and rejected ballots are due to a lack of voter education,” it added, in response to the PPP’s suggestions that the number of spoilt and rejected ballots at the last general elections were due to a lack of voter education.
Gecom also said that its Chairman Dr Steve Surujbally took umbrage at the claim by the PPP that instead of focusing on the concerns and loopholes that exist, he has been “taking the approach to brush aside issues of concern and issuing statements full of rhetoric.”
“Gecom calls on the PPP to withdraw that statement as it inaccurately represents the unequivocal professionalism of its Chairman and the Commission he represents,” it said. Surujbally, it also noted, has repeatedly welcomed the ideas raised by political parties as it relates to the enhancement of the efficacy of the Commission’s work, and will continue to welcome and treat the concerns raised by political parties, appropriately.
Meanwhile, with regards to claims about missing indelible ink and water tanks, Gecom maintained that it has no knowledge of any indelible ink being stolen or missing.
The case of the missing water tanks, however, is currently in hands of the Guyana Police Force, which is conducting a thorough investigation, it added.
