The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said yesterday that it is acceptable for a registrant to present the old ‘red and white’ birth certificate as a source document.
This document “has always been acceptable and continues to be acceptable as a source document for registration. This is evident from photocopies of such documents in GECOM’s possession which have been taken as evidence that acceptable documentation was provided as the basis for the registrations,” GECOM stated in a media release.
The release was responding to a number of observations attributed to PNCR-1G Member of Parliament Keith Scott in an article titled “House-to-House Registration – Aspects of scrutineering exercise need urgent attention – PNCR”, which was published in the Kaieteur News of February 09, 2008.
According to GECOM, the article has “the potential to cast doubt on the transparency of the exercise.”
GECOM noted four specific areas of concern raised by Scott about the house-to-house registration exercise in Region Seven.
The article, the release said, did not indicate to which of the three assistant registration officers (AROs) of Region/District 7 Scott was referring. However, GECOM said that the concerns were raised by it with Harry Persaud, Registration Officer (RO) for the entire Registration District No. 7.
Scott is reported to have said that the ARO of Region 7 continues to make documents important to the scrutineering exercise available only on a selective basis to the PNCR scrutineers although Chief Election Officer Gocool Boodoo gave the assurance that all relevant documents would be made available to all scrutineers.
But Persaud has categorically stated that all completed transactions are shown to both assistant chief scrutineers (ACS) at all of the ‘cluster’ offices in the district, after being checked, placed in batches of 24 and recorded in the registration ledger, GECOM said.
It stated further that the ACSs are also given access to scrutinize the Registration Ledger as well as the ledger at the main Registration Office.
Moreover, GECOM noted, all queries from ACSs pertaining to registration transactions are comprehensively examined by their respective AROs in the case of the ‘cluster’ offices and by the RO in the case of the main registration office. And this is the standard procedure that obtains throughout Guyana, GECOM asserted.
Cameras
Regarding the other concerns which seem not to be restricted to District 7, Scott is reported to have said that many of the registration clerks were still not able to proficiently operate the cameras and that this equipment was not available to each registration team.
Scott also reportedly stated that there were insufficient physical arrangements at the ‘cluster’ offices for the accommodation of PNCR scrutineers.
On the camera issue, GECOM said that its objective was to have registration clerks who were quite skilful in the use of the cameras. “However, in spite of the extensive training, re-training and refresher courses, the proficient use of the cameras were in some cases not optimal,” GECOM acknowledged.
However, GECOM did make provision for remedial training as it had recognized that teething problems might have surfaced in the initial phase of the exercise.
“Such further training has been conducted in all of the 23 Registration Areas with the result that the registration clerks are becoming progressively skilful in the use of the cameras,” GECOM informed.
It also said that additional training has “resulted in registration clerks becoming more adept in the filling out of the Application for Registration forms, and in so doing have contributed to an acceleration of the pace at which the exercise is being conducted.”
According to GECOM, “no effort was spared to ensure that each of the appointed/delegated registration teams was outfitted with a camera from the commencement of the exercise.” However, the release said, “while this could not have been achieved in a few cases due to an unforeseen anomaly,” the exercise commenced in all of the 23 Registration Areas across Guyana on January 7 as planned, and since then all of the registration teams have been equipped with cameras.
GECOM explained that the nature of the responsibilities of divisional scrutineers would require that they accompany registration clerks in the field to monitor the manner in which the exercise is being conducted.
“Divisional scrutineers are not office-based personnel for whom “physical arrangements” at any ‘cluster’ office is necessary, and no special treatment is given to any set of divisional scrutineers with respect to the provision of physical accommodation or any other arrangement, the release stated.
It noted that the ACSs are comfortably accommodated and are located at strategic points from which they can monitor every aspect of the registration process at all ‘cluster’ offices.
GECOM also observed that in view of the concern regarding scrutineers’ access to registration documents, it had reinforced its policy decision at the statutory meeting of January 22. Therefore, “in order to guarantee transparency throughout the registration exercise, all assistant chief scrutineers must be given access to all registration documents, including the ledgers wherein registration transactions are documented.”
This decision, the release added, was communicated to all registration officers (ROs) and AROs via a memorandum by the CEO.
The commission’s position on this matter was also made known by the chief elections officer at a meeting with chief scrutineers at the Conference Hall of the GECOM Secretariat on January 25.
