GECOM assures of merits of information clerks –Rohee sees more benefits in vamped-up voter education
PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee
PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee

AN aggressive voters’ education programme will not only improve knowledge of the electoral process among Guyanese voters, but will also negate the need for information clerks engaged by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).This is the contention of General Secretary of the incumbent People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee, who reiterated the Party’s sentiments on the use of information clerks at a press conference held on Monday at Freedom House.
“Should this (voter education) be done thoroughly then there will be no need for information clerks at polling places, reducing the confusion and frustration of the 2011 election,” he said.
Rohee explained that additional work, relative to GECOM’s education programme, is needed in rural, hinterland and riverain communities across the country.
“The PPP views this as yet another step to having free and fair elections come May 11, 2015. Voters’ knowledge of the electoral process will minimize spoilt and rejected ballots and will reduce waiting time for all voters at the place of poll,” he said.
The PPP General Secretary lamented the “frustration” caused during the 2011 polls due to the use of information clerks.
MISDIRECTED VOTERS
He pointed to the contention that information clerks had misdirected voters to polling stations that they were not slated to vote at, which in turn frustrated voters and caused them not to vote in 2011.
“The Party is seriously concerned over the use of information clerks at polling places with more than one polling station. This is due to the bitter experiences of the 2011 elections and the confusion and frustration created by these information clerks, whether deliberate or not the Party is against the use of information clerks in the 2015 elections,” Rohee said.

Dr. Steve Surujbally, GECOM  Chairman
Dr. Steve Surujbally, GECOM Chairman

IMPORTANT ROLE
Meanwhile, the Chairman of GECOM, Dr Steve Surujbally told the Guyana Chronicle that information clerks play an important role and their use is seen as a best practice in electoral processes undertaken in several countries.
He stated that while there may have been challenges at the last General and Regional elections, the merits of having information clerks outweigh these.
GECOM’s public relations office has since made it clear that information clerks are among the most important of the polling staff employees.
The Commission assured that these individuals will be selected from among the “most competent” of the Commission’s permanent staff.
GECOM’s staffers, the Guyana Chronicle was informed, are continuously being trained in the essential electoral principles and processes for the efficient and transparent conduct of elections on May 11.
“Those persons to be selected as information clerks will demonstrate their intrinsic value to the overall electoral management process, especially when they will be – in many instances – the first persons with whom electors will come into contact on Polling Day,” GECOM said.
The Commission has also disclosed that the staffers who will be assigned to work at the various polling stations have been fully trained to ensure that the conduct of Election Day proceeds in free fair, transparent, effective and efficient manner.
“Electors can be assured that all the highly trained clerks will be performing their duties in accordance with the established criteria and tenets set out by GECOM so as to guarantee a successful Election Day,” GECOM assured.
As the title Information Clerks suggests, these individuals are expected to be working on Elections Day specifically to give information to electors and to direct them to their appropriate polling station. The information clerks are also expected to maintain the orderly flow of registered electors within the central polling place to which he or she is attached.
Where there are two or more polling stations located in one compound, an information clerk will be stationed there to check for the elector’s name on the list; direct the elector to the polling station in the compound where he or she has to vote; and advise the elector to check with the hotline at the Guyana Elections Commission Secretariat/Returning Officer’s Office/Deputy Returning Officer’s office if his or her name is not found on any of the lists.
Information clerks are expected to be placed at polling places where there are several polling stations.
By Vanessa Narine

 

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