GECOM fails to agree on way forward for elections; to meet again Friday

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) met on Wednesday for more than three hours but failed to reach a decision on the way forward for new general elections as mandated by the constitution upon the passage of the December 21 No Confidence motion.

The contentious issue is what method should be used to prepare a voters list for the elections and the soonest time this could be done.

“We started the discussions on the way forward and it is incomplete,” said Vincent Alexander, one of the three Commissioners who represent the Government.

The full Commission will meet again on Friday.

The Commissioners all preferred not to give details on the discussions.

“We prefer in the interest of taking the process forward preferably not to make public disclosures.

“The public will get a decision,” Alexander stated in the presence of his fellow Commissioners. They approached the gate of the Commission’s High Street, Kingston head office to speak with reporters.

The three Commissioners from the Opposition all left in their cars, declining to give any details; their only comment was that the meeting will continue Friday.

“We were frank; we are arguing our own dispositions but at the end of the day it is an incomplete discourse,” said Alexander.

However, he did disclose that the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) did present various scenarios on the way forward but more information was needed.

“I will say to you that we have in fact referred the CEO for further clarifications on scenarios,” said Alexander.

The Commission has started house to house registration to produce a new Voter’s List, and this process could remove those who are overseas.

The Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire recently ruled that it would be unconstitutional to remove persons from the list if they are not found at home when registration officers visit.

The Opposition has argued that the house to house registration process should be aborted and that a Claims and Objections period should be used to clean the list of persons who are dead or would have migrated.

At the moment, the house to house registration is continuing.

“As we stand here, house to house is continuing.

“I would say that house to house is not being thrown out,” Alexander stated.