GIVEN that Elections are just days away, and since I will not be working with GECOM, I would like to share this concern of mine.Having read the letter titled, “GECOM unfairly appointed Elections Clerks in Region 5” published in Guyana Times, I thought it best to share my experience with GECOM also.
I am still to be convinced as a young voter, whether or not I should vote in these elections. As a first time voter, I was excited to vote until I thought of this issue. My issue lies in trusting the body that will be conducting the elections. While, there are several observers watching what is going on, I believe what they are only getting what they want to hear from GECOM. The Chairman boost to them, Gecom is following international best practise. The goodly doctor needs to be reminded that the best practise does not include favouritism and nepotism.

The big question is: Is GECOM worthy of trusting?

This is an ideal time of reminding the Chief Elections Officer of his words as printed in Stabroek News on September, 15, 2014. Here is an extract, just in case:
“Favouritism, cronyism and nepotism will not be associated with the employment procedures being used by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This was emphasised by Keith Lowenfield, Chief Election Officer (CEO) during his address at the opening session of the two-day Training of Trainers Programme at the St Joseph High School on Saturday, September 13, 2014”

It would be good to define these words. Wikipedia defines as follows:
* FAVOURITISM: The practice of giving unfair preferential treatment to one person or group at the expense of another.
* CRONYISM: The appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority, without proper regard to their qualifications.
* NEPOTISM: The practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.
To date, can you honestly say if GECOM has stuck to its words? In case you do not know, some of your officers employed their whole family, from son, to daughter, to in-laws to friends. Clearly, this contradicts your statement. Check Region 6! Region 5, you are not alone! Let’s not even go to the issue of qualifications and favoritisms. Looking for evidence of your three big-words should not be hard, since this is a “transparent organisation” (a word used umpteen times in the training) and Guyana is to believe that you have honest officers who will tell you the truth. GECOM must admit in its employment procedures it is guilty of those 3 employment crimes. In some cases, family reporting to family. Is GECOM ok with a son reporting to a father. Can this not weaken the integrity of the process?

Worst yet, for the reference, I was one of the many who wasted our time spending two days of our time with the hope that we will be treated fairly in terms of employment. We did not get jobs. But sadly, we did not know it was a family business. If only we knew, we would have not wasted our time. In the future, I do not see the need to advertise and waste the tax payers money, just ask your staff and they will provide you with people to work. No need for outsiders.

I stopped chasing after GECOM for an E-Day job. After all, family and friends dominate the employment. I will never apply in the future. I wasted time and resources as follows: writing application (paper, ink, passage, time), contacting GECOM for training (telephone bill, travelling to collect letter), GECOM Training (Time), Anticipating a Reply (telephone bill), Checking to see if my name was on employment list- this was terrible experience. There was no central list and I was advised to visit the various centres. From one to another. I check about 5 in a hot and sweaty day. This was humiliating. GECOM made people look like beggars. Each stop cost money. It did not stop there. I called Georgetown several times, telephone bill again.

To all the intelligent working persons out there. In your organisation who looks after employment – the Human Resource or the Personal Assistant to the CEO? Apparently in GECOM it is the latter. I was shocked to learn that I had to contact the Personal Assistant to know if I get through since he has the scores. I was told he gives directive on whom to get job. So what’s the use of the Human Resource section if the Personal Assistant can do that job? Why should the PA be tasked with employment when there is a HR section.

With all being said, I am now left a bit confused if I should vote. Will my vote be treated the same way employment issues are being treated? It appears that some applications just disappear. Did the pool leaked? In the training I know what happens to the statement of poll goes to the Returning Officer’s Office. Who in Headquarters is responsible for taking it after that, in terms of tabulations? Who oversee this activity? Are they, the same set of people who cannot account for all the exam scripts?

If simple things like employment there was little transparency – your officers said that only persons with 50% and over got through yet you cannot to date inform people of their scores if really they truly fail, isn’t transparent. Imagine, GECOM is implying that even UG people can’t get 50% in that exam too. Worst yet, there was no letter sent to applicants who did not get through to explain why they did not get through. This is not transparency. Even worst, there was no submission of qualifications for your posts advertised. This is not transparency. In the future, stop telling John Public they need X amount of degrees and subjects, when in the true sense they don’t need anything since these are factors never taken into considerations for appointment. Do it safe, anybody apply. How can you realise what you set out to achieve?

As a young person, I wonder if I will ever get to work with GECOM given that there are some regular faces who are always selected, despite their age. It seems that they have reserved position waiting on them. I wonder what will happen to young people like myself. There was been so much of concerns about GECOM employment practice yet no one addressed. At least the hard working PR Manager said nothing about it in the press.
Some media houses are known for its investigative abilities, maybe it’s time, they start looking into the operations at GECOM and help the public to understand what is really going on in there. The international community should not buy into the assurance of GECOM that they are following best practises. Conduct your own investigation,

I hope the political parties convince me in the coming days, that my vote is secured and the system is working to count is working fairly. It is not like their flawed employment system. Clearly, at this point GECOM cannot convince me. Was it too much to ask of GECOM to be transparent, fair and at least sticking to their words?

CONCERNED VOTER