PPP alleges…

Call for breakdown of PLE fallen on deaf ears
–GECOM begs to differ

THE ruling Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), in a statement to the media, has charged that requests to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to provide a breakdown of the names and origins of people with whom the Party has concerns have received no response.

“To date, GECOM has failed to act. Never in its history did Guyana have a list with over 550,000 electors. We deserve a forthright and logical explanation from GECOM. The PPP stands firm as regards the integrity of the PLE (Preliminary List of Electors), and remains strong in its belief that the list in its present form is unacceptable,” the Party said in its statement.

Earlier this month, PPP General Secretary Mr. Clement Rohee disclosed that the Party has evidence of irregularities that have surfaced during GECOM’s ongoing Claims and Objections period.

He said GECOM needs to explain to the nation the “steep surge” in names, amounting to over 78,000 new registrants on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE), when, traditionally, new registrants amount to approximately 11,000.

“The PPP demands a complete breakdown of the new registrants and their origin,” he said, adding that it would seem that there is some “padding” of the PLE.

However, Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Mr. Vishnu Persaud told the Guyana Chronicle that the Commission has not yet received a formal request for a breakdown of the new registrants and their origins.

“I am not aware that we received any official request for a breakdown of names of any category of electors on the PLE,” he said.

According to Persaud, GECOM has consistently made available to all the parliamentary political parties the list of persons registered in every cycle of continuous registration exercise, as well as the PLE.

Persaud also responded to concerns expressed by the Ruling Party over the Commission’s data entry process, by explaining that data input is completed by the Voter Registration Division, not the Commission’s Information Technology Department.

He added that all data entry is subjected to security measures to ensure both accuracy and integrity of the entries made.

“All of this is done in compliance with a procedure approved by the Commission, and it is managed by the Voter Registration Division’s manager,” the DECO said.

Additionally, the PPP has questioned the vacancy of an Information Technology Department manager and the establishment of an International Monitoring Unit, both of which Persaud said are being addressed by GECOM.

Of the three political parties, the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) has been most vocal in raising concerns about the work of the Commission.

GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Keith Lowenfield, in a prior comment, was clear in stressing that the Commission would continue to communicate with all three political parties which address concerns and suggestions on different issues.

“Our engagement is continuous with all parties,” he said.

(By Vanessa Narine)

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