Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 05, 2019 News
Opposition leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has contended that as a result of misleading press statements from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), and flip-flopping on matters like the Claims and Objections period, the institution will lose its credibility.
He said that the Commission should call the police on what appear to be rogue elements at the Secretariat.
He affirmed this during a press conference held Thursday at his Church Street, Georgetown Office, Georgetown.
“The chairperson must now realise that the institution will lose credibility, if every single week they issue a press release which is misleading and has to be corrected the next day, or orders which have to be subsequently corrected, ” Jagdeo stated.
Most of these issues have been blamed on the Secretariat; its Public Relations Officer; and the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield.
He further added, “And they not only mislead the entire country which could lead to an undermining of the Constitution and its standing and its impartiality itself, but it creates a ton of grief for people across this country.”
He pointed out that the consequent outcome entails that after one or two days later, or a week later, there is an abrupt change and time has been wasted to facilitate the change of provisions.
Jagdeo argued that both sides of the Commission agreed initially that the Claims and Objections period would be 35 (28+7) days, but this was changed a few days later in an order that provisioned claims and objections for 49 (42+7) days.
He said that the very order says that every registered voter must visit the registration office to verify their names on the list with use of their documents.
It stated that during the Claims and Objections period, every person whose name is on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) must visit the registration office in his area with their National Identification Card to verify his registration record in the Official list of Electors (OLE).
According to the new order, the Claims and Objections period would facilitate those persons who haven’t registered yet to do so.
Jagdeo said that this provision was worse than the House-to- House Registration.
It was recently reported that the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, added extra days to the initially decided 35 days for the purpose of giving the electorate more time to have their claims and objections sorted out. He took this decision upon himself without the involvement of the Commissioners.
Jagdeo re-emphasised this issue and appeared to be pleased with the new order, which removed the requirement of verification of electors. The PPP leader noted that it was corrected in the order; that every Guyanese now does not have to go and verify their names, only those who are new on the voters list.
Jagdeo said that the 49-day statement was reduced to 42 days instead of reinstating the 35 days that the Commission agreed on.
He further added, “The three Commissioners plus the Chair voted to extend to 42 days, contravening an earlier decision that we agreed [to] and [thereby] accepting the principle that Lowenfield can change decisions of the Commission on his own.”
The Opposition Leader noted that the “rogue elements in the secretariat” are worrying.
He claimed that he found it strange that the CEO can change the decision of the board without consequences.
The PPP General Secretary put forward that the Commission should involve the police on some elements of the Secretariat.
During his address to the media, Jagdeo stressed that the PPP would keep a close eye on the activities of GECOM. It will not allow unverified data from the suspended House-to-House exercise to contaminate the database, during the claims and objections period.
“We are watching everything,” he said.
JAGDEO ADDING MORE DANGER TO GUYANA AND THE REGION
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