Updates for General, Regional Elections ready at month end

Sep 12, 2011 News

– Training Sessions, ID distribution ongoing

Update on Preparation for the General and Regional Elections – 2011 will be available for public scrutiny up to September 30, 2011, according to Public Relations Officer of GECOM, Vishnu Persaud.
Persaud said in a press release that GECOM posting of the RLE at two conspicuous locations within each electoral Division/Sub-Division across Guyana for public scrutiny is underway.
He added that electronic copies of the RLE have been prepared for distribution to the Political Parties. Accordingly, all concerned are given the opportunity to check the RLE for the inclusion of, especially, the names of newly registered persons and to verify the accuracy of information pertaining to registration transactions.
Adding that GECOM met with Representatives of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on Wednesday last to discuss the Union’s expressed interest to be accredited as a Local Observer Group for the upcoming General and Regional Elections, Persaud stated the onus is on the GPSU to submit the names of the members of the “Council of Management” of its proposed observer team for accreditation in the first instance.  “Thereafter, the Union will be required to submit, for accreditation, the names of persons who would actually observe the elections.”
He further stated that the GPSU would be required to follow GECOM’s protocol as documented for Local Observers, a deviation from which could result in the accreditation being suspended or withdrawn.  A documented copy of the Protocol was given to the GPSU Team, which was headed by Mr. Mortimer Livan, 1st Vice President of the Union.
However, Persaud also noted that GECOM is moving ahead with its nationwide series of two-day Training Sessions targeting personnel who will be employed to work throughout Guyana on Polling Day at the upcoming Elections.  The second leg in the series was conducted simultaneously on Saturday, September 10-11, 2011 at 12 locations in Georgetown.  The first leg of this exercise which targeted East Coast Demerara and East Bank Demerara was conducted on September 3-4, 2011.
In addition, Persaud stated that all registrants who have not as yet uplifted their ID Cards are reminded to make every effort to collect their cards as soon as possible.
He alluded to the fact that the distribution of National Identification Cards by GECOM from all of its permanent Registration Offices across Guyana is ongoing and will continue up to two days before Election Day. This includes the distribution of ID cards produced from both phases of the recent Claims and Objections exercise for the upcoming elections.