EAB still awaiting SOP from GECOM

Georgetown: Although the General Election came and went and the elected President Donald Ramotar, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Presidential Candidate, was sworn in as the Seventh Executive President yesterday, the Electoral Assistance Bureau (EAB) said that it is still awaiting Statements of Poll from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

The body in a statement issued yesterday said that it is awaiting release of Statements of Poll from GECOM that it was unable to acquire on Election Night.  According to the EAB once the full set of observer reports and Statements of Poll are analysed, the EAB would be in a position to complete its examination and assessment of the 2011 polling exercise.  The EAB claims that it has since sent the list of outstanding Statements of Poll to GECOM and hopes that it would be able to get the requested copies when GECOM’s office opens tomorrow.  “With the full complement of Statements of Poll in hand, the EAB expects that it would be in a position to release a preliminary assessment of the polling components of the 2011 Election by the end of next week,” the statement added.

According to EAB it is currently in the process of analyzing observer reports of the polling process across the country. The body is a local observer group comprised of citizens of all ethnic, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds and has the most comprehensive coverage of the polling process, having placed observers in all 10 regions of Guyana. This is a complex logistical exercise that is undertaken on a relatively small budget with volunteer support. Most observer reports have been received and a few from outlying regions are expected shortly.

The statement said that the EAB wishes to thank all of its volunteers, including the many young people who had been giving tireless hours at the office and remote stations in the past weeks to assist with planning, analysis, and manning of hotlines. Further, “we wish to thank our observers, their supervisors, and coordinators for their hard work that was bravely done. Additionally, we thank the public for its cooperation with EAB and appeal to all citizens to be guided by reason.”