Claims process concludes for 2020 elections

Members of the public line up outside of GECOM’s Sheriff Street registration office on the last day of claims. (Photo by Orlando Charles)
Members of the public line up outside of GECOM’s Sheriff Street registration office on the last day of claims. (Photo by Orlando Charles)

The claims aspect of the claims and objections process for the upcoming general and regional elections, which are slated for March 2nd, 2020, concluded last evening. 

Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward told reporters yesterday that as of Sunday November 3rd, GECOM Secretariat staff across the country had processed 5,636 new registrations, 14,474 transfers, 2,639 corrections and 2,400 identification card replacements during the exercise. They had also facilitated 651 updates of photographs.

Objections will continue until November 11th. So far, 500 objections have been received by registration staff.

During visits to Registration Offices across the city, Stabroek News was able to observe scores of persons visiting to ensure that their details were accurately reflected on the preliminary list of electors (PLE).

One registrant, who had joined the line at GECOM’s Sheriff Street registration officer, explained that he had brought his son and daughter to ensure that they were on the list since the upcoming polls would be the first time they would be voting.

“I ain’t even check for my name yet. I could lapse but can’t get the two of them lapsing,” he jovially indicated.

Another registrant explained that he had previously registered in 2014 but was looking to have his name transferred to a new registration district since he had moved.

Everyone who spoke with this newspaper appeared satisfied with the service being offered by registration staff.

The preparation of an Official List of Electors for the March 2nd, 2020 elections has been fraught with controversy as members of the commission have been split along party lines on decisions taken.

Government-nominated commissioners have argued that the current National Register of Registrants is bloated and have proposed various means to cleanse it.

Opposition-nominated commissioners have, however, criticised these proposals as unconstitutional delay tactics.

GECOM recently published a list of persons registered during the aborted house-to-house registration exercise and posted it wherever the PLE was posted, with no directions to members of the public, as to what use is to be made of this list.

This newspaper visited several locations in Georgetown and observed that lists of names had been published and displayed under the heading “House to House 2019: List of Applicants.”

The lists have been attached to the PLE. The PLE was published via an Order signed by GECOM chair Justice Claudette Singh on September 26th. This Order, which is attached to each copy of the PLE, advises persons that between the days of October 1 and November 11, they may, if they qualify to do so, make a claim to be included on the list or object to the inclusion of a person not similarly qualified.

Additionally the commission has indicated that over 25,000 persons could be excluded from the voters’ list if they do not uplift their national identification cards which have been sitting uncollected since 2008.

According to the GECOM commissioners, the decision was made by Singh based on two proposals put forward by government-nominated commissioners two weeks ago. Singh, who has been publicly silent since assuming the post, has also promised to hold a press conference on November 8th.

It is expected that she will at this engagement provide a clear legal justification for the decision which has been criticised as illegal.

Commissioners have explained that the names of those who have not collected their ID cards would be published in the newspapers and they will be given 21 days within which to collect them and if they fail to respond to that then they will be prevented from voting. In addition to widespread publication, GECOM also intends to send notices directly to the addresses of record for such persons.