LEADER of the Independent Party, Mr Mark Benschop, has contended that the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) is “heavily padded” in favour of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).“The Independent Party is of the view that the Voters List is heavily padded in favour of the corrupt PPP regime. Something indeed smells fishy,” Benschop charged in a widely circulated statement on social media, after a meeting with GECOM officials at which he indicated that his party would be contesting the upcoming elections.

Asked to comment on Benschop’s charge, GECOM Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally counter-charged: “If Mr Benschop holds this view, then he can bring the evidence of this, and GECOM will investigate.”

There are currently some 567,125 persons on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE), an increase from the 492,000 in 2011. Names for the PLE are taken from the National Registry of Registrants (NRR), and those names represent Guyanese who are of voting age and would quality to participate at the upcoming polls.

An Official List of Electors (OLE) is produced after the PLE has been subjected to a claims and objections period – in the interest of ensuring a clean and accurate list.
CONCERNS ADDRESSED
The Independent Party leader also expressed concerns over the 38,000 persons who have not uplifted their identification cards. He questioned what method is being used to reach the persons who are yet to uplift their cards.
Suggesting that there is something sinister afoot, he said, “It wasn’t a surprise that the bulk of the 38,000 ID cards belong to persons from Region 4 (Demerara/ Mahaica). Persons need to read between the lines as to what’s happening here.”

GECOM has already addressed the issue of identification cards not being uplifted. The GECOM Chairman stated yesterday that if Benschop can assist in urging persons to uplift their identification cards, he is welcome to so do.

Dr Surujbally said at a prior news conference that voters eligible to participate at the upcoming May 11 general and regional elections do not necessarily need the identification cards to cast their votes.

He explained that, on E-Day, GECOM officials at all polling stations would be in possession of “folios” that would allow them to identify eligible voters assigned to vote at the respective polling stations. He explained that the folios would include pictures and bio-data of registrants at each polling station, and added that information included in the folios could be the basis of questions that are asked of the individuals without identification cards.

“In addition to that, you have the person standing right in front of you,” he said.

GECOM officials have repeatedly stressed that there are systems in place to ensure that no person votes in place of another individual, or votes more than once – measures similar to the ones used in past elections that were determined free and fair.

The identification cards that are yet to be uplifted belong to persons registered since 2008, some of whom are below voting age.

The GECOM Chairman has repeatedly stressed that the Commission’s focus is on ensuring that the upcoming elections are free and fair. He said the Commission has been engaged in a stringent preparation exercise for E-Day.

“We will do what is right,” he said, pointing out that while the process may not be perfect in every respect, GCEOM has a “near perfect” process that seeks to ensure reliability and efficiency during the elections period.

GECOM is an autonomous body.

(By Vanessa Narine)