THE ruling People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has written to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) requesting a one-week extension of the ongoing Claims and Objections period, which started on August 4 and ends next week.

And Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Mr. Vishnu Persaud, confirmed that the Commission is aware of the party’s request and it is engaging its attention.
In a statement, released yesterday, the PPP said that an extension, at this “critical” time, is necessary to ensure most, if not all eligible, Guyanese are on the list of electors and not disenfranchised whenever elections are called.
“Already we have seen the AFC submission of a “No Confidence Motion” on the Government coupled with the APNU public support and only recently the Speaker of the National Assembly has thrown his weight behind them with justification that the Government is undermining the work of Parliament,” the party said.
The PPP added that it has received “valuable information” from its extensive field work countrywide, which indicated that there are many persons who are still to effect the transfer of their particulars from one list to another, especially in new housing schemes.
The party said, “Time and again the Party had engaged GECOM to conduct mobile registration in these schemes as well as hinterland and riverine communities; even though some amount of work was done to this effect.”
The ruling party maintains its contention, expressed some weeks ago, that it is dissatisfied with GECOM’s public relations work, selection of convenient days and times to residents and “meagre” amount of time spent in hinterland and riverine communities.
“It is to be reminded that it was the PPP who made representation for the over 8,000 persons that were still to take transfers at the end of the last continuous registration period. And our groundwork has shown there is still a significant amount of persons that are still to do so,” the party said.
The PPP has also called on major stakeholders to support its call for an extension so that every eligible Guyanese can get on the list, paving the way for transparent, free and fair elections whenever they are called.
The Claims exercise end on Sunday, August 24, and the Objections period end on Thursday, August 28.
Objections can be made for persons who died, or for people who do not meet the eligibility requirements for inclusion on the Official List of Electors. The Claims period will allow persons to do the following business, if needed: Register as a New Registrant, if he/she would be 18 years old or older and if his/her name is not on any of the GECOM’s Preliminary Voters’ Lists; make changes and corrections to the information which is on the list for him/her; move his/her particulars from one list to the list for the area where he/she is now living; apply for a new ID card to replace the one which was lost or misplaced; and collect one’s National Identification Card if this has not been done as yet from the nearest GECOM office.
GECOM’s hotline numbers are 225-0278-9, 226-6557 or 223-9650.
Written By Vanessa Narine