– to serve as basis for conduct of Claims and Objections exercise ahead of Local Government elections
THE Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) said it is currently finalising the National Register of Registrants to be used as the basis for the conduct of a Claims and Objections (C&O) exercise as a prerequisite for the holding, possibly later this year, of Local Government Elections.

The Commission, in a statement yesterday, said during the C&O exercise, persons who meet the eligibility criteria for registration would get the opportunity to apply for registration and be issued their respective National Identification cards.

GECOM said it is essential to note that only persons who will be 18 years and over by a specified date will be registered during the C&O period.

The criteria for registration are as follows:-

Anyone who will be 18 years or older by a date to be specified by GECOM, and is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalisation, or is a citizen from a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more can register during the ongoing C&O exercise and be issued a National Identification Card thereafter.

Source Documents Required For Registration:

You must be in possession of the following source documents as may be necessary:-

1. Original Birth Certificate or a valid Guyana Passport

2. Original Marriage Certificate (and original birth certificate) – in the case of a name change by marriage. Married women in possession of valid Guyana Passports with their husbands’ surname do not need to provide Marriage Certificates.

3. Original Deed Poll and original Birth Certificate – in the case of a name change by Deed Poll.

4. Original Naturalisation Certificate for naturalised citizens.

GECOM is aware that many eligible persons could not be registered during the 2008 House-to-House Registration exercise because they were not in possession of the required source documents – such as Birth Certificates, Passports and Marriage Certificates. Many such persons, who would have now taken possession of their respective source documents, could now be registered during the C&O exercise, the Commission assured.

GECOM said the C&O exercise will be conducted at Offices suitably located in all of the ten Administrative Regions in Guyana, including the GECOM permanent Area Offices. Persons who meet the eligibility criteria will be required to visit the GECOM Office responsible for his/her area of residence with the respective source document(s) to apply for registration.

All persons who would be eligible for registration during the claims and objections exercise, but are not in possession of the relevant supporting document(s) stated above are strongly urged to take immediate steps to acquire the said documents in order to facilitate their respective registration during this exercise.

GECOM said it will be posting up Divisional/Sub Divisional Lists of Registrants at prominent places in all electoral Divisions/Sub Divisions and at GECOM Office/Sub-Offices located in the respective Registration/Electoral Divisions for public scrutiny. Registered persons will be required to check the Lists to determine the accuracy of their respective registration data as published.

According to the Commission, the C&O exercise would provide opportunities for persons to conduct the following types of registration transactions:-

* make a claim to entry on the Official List of Electors (OLE), if they will be eligible to vote at the upcoming Local Government Elections and their names are not on the list;

* apply for a transfer, if they have changed their addresses;

* apply for a correction, if they have changed their names, or if there is incorrect information on the List or on their National ID Cards;

* object to the inclusion of the name of any person who is suspected not to have the eligibility requirements for such inclusion

The duration of the C & O exercise will be repeatedly published in the local media as a guide for eligible persons desirous of applying for registration or conducting any of the other transactions bulleted above.

Since this is a matter of the utmost importance, GECOM said it is expecting the relevant stakeholders, specifically the various Political Parties, to urge their constituents to spare no effort to acquire their respective source documents to become registered during the C&O exercise.

Further, GECOM is appealing to the Political parties to assist their constituents (who might find some difficulty in obtaining a Deed Poll) by convincing the lawyers and Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths, affiliated to the respective Parties, to prepare and lodge the required instruments of name change (Deed Polls), through Notaries Public, at the Deeds Registry.