Georgetown: The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) confirmed that house-to-house registration would begin on Saturday, July 20 and end in another three months.
This process is one which the government claims it will enforce “free and fair” elections.
According to GECOM, the countrywide exercise is in keeping with a decision of the Elections Commission in February this year, and in accordance with Order No. 25 of 2019 dated June 11, 2019.
“Registration is a legal requirement according to the National Registration Act, Chapter 19:08 and therefore, all eligible persons are mandated to register. House-to-House Registration is a new registration exercise and therefore, all eligible persons must register even if they were previously registered,” GECOM said in a missive.
According to the elections body, following the exercise, a new National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB), which is reflective of the current Guyanese population, will be created. Subsequently, the Official List of Electors (OLE) will be extracted to conduct General and Regional Elections.
According to GECOM, persons eligible for registration are as follows: – Guyanese citizens by birth, descent, naturalisation or registration, and who will be 14 years and older by October this year, or a citizen of a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for no less than one year preceding the qualifying date – are all eligible for registration.
“Residents are urged to have the relevant documents required for registration ready and be on the lookout for GECOM’s Registration Officials in their area. These documents include an original Birth Certificate, a Valid Passport, Naturalisation Certificate, Certificate of Registration, Adoption Certificate and Deed Poll or Marriage Certificate (if applicable),” the release stated.
GECOM said for the exercise; each eligible person will only be registered where he/she resides. Residences include dwelling places such as homes, residential institutions such as hospices and homes for youth and the elderly. It noted that registration would not be conducted at GECOM Registration Offices.
The Coalition Government has been adamant that House to House Registration is necessary for the holding of credible elections.
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday said most likely his People’s Progressive Party (PPP) would move to the courts to cite Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield with contempt for the Caribbean Court of Justice’s (CCJ) order that suggested that elections must be held within three months on the passage of a no-confidence motion.
At the same time, Jagdeo said if GECOM went ahead with house-to-house registration, his party would deploy representatives to be vigilant against any skulduggery.
The PPP had hoped that a new GECOM Chairman would have presided over a meeting of the bipartisan seven-member commission and overturned a decision by the then Patterson-led commission decision on February 19 which led to Order No. 25 of June 11th, 2019 being gazetted.
Word of that order only surfaced in recent days, and the PPP said it had not been officially informed of the intended exercise to allow it to assign party representatives to the process. The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) on Friday said it fully endorsed GECOM’s decision to hold house-to-house registration.
“The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) welcomes the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM’s) independent decision to commence house-to-house registration, starting on Saturday 20th July 2019. This decision is completely consistent with both the Constitution and the CCJ’s ruling that we need to hold fair and credible elections in the shortest possible time,” the PNCR said.
The PPP has said that its three election commissioners had never participated in a decision to conduct house-to-house registration. The then Chairman and the three pro-coalition commissioners had decided to do so.
The CCJ has labeled the David Granger-led administration “interim” and “caretaker” and has said that the President and Cabinet ought to have resigned upon passage of the no-confidence motion, and the President and government remain in office to largely prepare for a general election.
For more information, persons can visit the GECOM’s website at www.gecom.org.gy, email pro@gecom.org.gy, follow Guyana Elections Commission on Facebook or call 225-0277-9 or 223-9653.
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