The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Monday began ID card distribution for persons registered during last year’s national registration exercise.
The distribution has started in Registration District No. 4 (Region 4), according to GECOM, given due consideration to the size of the population in the district. Distribution will, however, begin in Districts (Regions) 5, 6, and 3 on November 13, 14 and 15, respectively. Distribution in the remaining Districts would begin shortly after.
GECOM says 272 temporary distribution centres have been established countrywide to provide easy access for registrants to uplift their ID cards.
The centres will remain in operation up to December 31, 2009 and afterward distribution would continue at GECOM’s permanent registration offices, until March 28, 2010. At that point there will be a break in the distribution of ID cards to facilitate the holding of local government elections, after which distribution of the cards would resume.
Cards are being distributed from 15:00 hrs (3pm) to 19:00 hrs (7pm) on Mondays to Fridays, and 10:00 hrs (10am) to 16:00 hrs (4pm) on Saturdays and Sundays. GECOM reminded that registrants take along the “pink slips” they were given during registration to facilitate the prompt delivery of their ID cards. GECOM added that there is an internal administrative procedure to treat with registrants who are not in possession of the slips, thereby ensuring such persons are given their cards. “However, this latter administrative procedure involves a time consuming exercise,” it said, adding, every effort should be made to present the slips when collecting the ID cards.
Further information pertaining to the ID card distribution exercise, including the specific distribution centre where a registrant is required to uplift his/her ID card, could be accessed through GECOM’s hotlines. The hotline numbers are: 225-0277-9, 226-1651 and 223-9650.
GECOM has said the decision to produce new national ID Cards was premised on the fact that there are currently three differently designed ID cards in existence, including one design that has been in existence for decades; as well as the detection of counterfeit ID cards by both GECOM and the Guyana Police Force.
The Commission is of the belief that there must be in existence ID cards of only one design and with security features which cannot be duplicated.
In this regard, GECOM approved the use of an “Optically Variable Ink (OVI), for the production of national ID cards and the outline of the map of Guyana appearing on the front of the card and with additional security features that will not be visible to the bare eyes, nor detected without the use of appropriate technology.
Recently, the main opposition PNCR emphasised the importance of security at the many centres where the ID Cards would be distributed, saying it expected that GECOM would be making adequate arrangements to deal with this situation during its field operations. Stabroek News was told that the commission has taken all necessary precautions to secure the cards.
