A WALK through of the procedures on nomination day, April 7, topped the agenda for a meeting hosted by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for political parties contesting the upcoming elections.Another major highlight of yesterday’s meeting, according to the Chairman of GECOM, Dr Steve Surujbally, was his call for political parties to avoid actions that would “pull the rug from under GECOM” feet.
“Why would anyone want to erode the integrity inherent in the senior officers of GECOM?” he questioned.
Dr Surujbally made it clear that the role of the Commission is to host a free and fair election that would uphold any scrutiny.
“After all that is being done, why besmirch the Commission?” he asked.
The GECOM Chairman also bemoaned the fact that the two major political parties, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Chance (APNU+AFC), were unable to be present at the meeting.
Represented were The United Force (TUF), Working People’s Alliance (WPA), National Front Alliance (NFA), the Healing the Nation Theocracy Party (HNTP), the Independent Party and the United Republican Party (URP).
Additionally, GECOM staffers are currently engaged in a mock nomination day exercise, which is expected to run until the end of the week. Over 30 persons are engaged in the exercise.
GECOM has made public its guidelines for the composition of the necessary lists that need to be submitted, come April 7.
Contesting parties are permitted to submit three separate lists on Nomination Day. These Lists of Candidates are in respect of: Geographical Constituencies Lists; National Top-up Lists; and Regional Democratic Council Lists.
In accordance with the electoral system of Proportional Representation, in order to qualify for a seat in the National Assembly, contesting parties must contest a minimum of six of the Geographical Constituencies- totalling at least 13 seats for eligibility to contest and submit Geographical Constituencies lists and National Top-up Lists. This arrangement will provide for that qualified contesting party to submit on Nomination Day, two separate Lists of Candidates.
Any contesting political party can contest the election of members of any of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils. For this purpose, a List of Candidates must be submitted on Nomination Day.(Vanessa Narine)